A congressional investigation has revealed that the U.S. government’s response to surging cyberscams remains heavily fragmented, leaving victims with limited avenues to recover stolen funds. Released by Democratic members of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC)—led by Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Representative Don Beyer of Virginia—the report highlights a lack of consolidated federal data tracking total scam losses, overseas asset seizures, or amounts successfully repatriated to victims.
The findings arrive as online fraud reaches unprecedented heights. FBI figures show that Americans lost nearly $18 billion to cyberscams in 2025, translating to more than $2 million every hour. Total reported internet-crime losses hit $20.9 billion, representing a 26% increase from 2024 and nearly triple the total recorded in 2021. Despite this rapid escalation, federal reporting mechanisms remain siloed across disparate systems and agencies.
The FBI reported returning $336 million to scam victims in 2025, while the Secret Service recovered more than $770 million in seized assets across fiscal years 2024 and 2025, though that latter figure encompassed a broad range of financial crimes rather than cyber threats alone. Suzanne Sando, a fraud analyst at Javelin Strategy & Research, noted that these varying time periods and categorization methods complicate accurate accounting. Because reporting entities operate on disconnected systems, the true financial toll is likely higher than currently documented.
Demographic impacts have proven severe, particularly for vulnerable populations. The FBI’s 2025 report indicated that Americans aged 60 and older reported losses of approximately $7.7 billion—a 60% increase from the previous year and the highest total for any age bracket. Meanwhile, individuals under 18 reported nearly $13 million in losses across 13,168 complaints.
Experts emphasize that widespread underreporting compounds the crisis. Many victims remain silent due to embarrassment, fear of judgment, or the perception that recovery is impossible. Jake Braun, executive director of the Cyber Policy Initiative at the University of Chicago and a former White House acting Principal Deputy National Cyber Director, explained that law enforcement bandwidth is heavily constrained. With only about a hundred top officials tackling the issue, authorities prioritize large-scale transnational criminal networks operating automated scam compounds in regions like Southeast Asia, often leaving them unable to pursue smaller individual losses.
Transnational organizations are increasingly weaponizing artificial intelligence, according to Sando. Criminals leverage AI-generated deepfakes, polished messaging, and fake social media profiles to build trust and scale operations rapidly. Braun noted that broader technology adoption, such as widespread mobile payment tools and smartphones among younger users, has simultaneously expanded the pool of potential targets.
The JEC report calls for comprehensive legislation, including the bipartisan ReportScams.Gov Act co-sponsored by Hassan and Senator Rick Scott of Florida, which would establish a unified federal strategy and a central reporting portal. Advocates argue that better data coordination would improve educational and preventive outreach for high-risk demographics.
Furthermore, analysts stress the need to incentivize the private sector. Sando argued that social media platforms and financial institutions must take greater responsibility for policing fraudulent accounts and deceptive ads. Braun maintained that technology companies possess detailed data on platform activity and should be held directly accountable, suggesting that federal cybersecurity and emergency grants could be better leveraged to fund community-level education for seniors, minors, and other vulnerable groups.
