ITIF | Phishing and smishing messages hit American inboxes and phones by the millions every day. Warning of unpaid tolls or bank account breaches, the messages are designed to get the recipient to click through or make a call. If they do, the scammers steal their money or their personal data.

According to reports to the FBI, scammers stole $16.6 billion from U.S. consumers in 2024 alone, channeling the profits into transnational criminal organizations.

“The United States should pair bipartisan legislation with deeper public-private integration and sustained multilateral cooperation,” ITIF’s David Kertai writes in a recent opinion piece. “Without a global coalition aligned through law, diplomacy, and technology, scammers will simply migrate to regions with weak governance—continuing to threaten the integrity of the digital ecosystem.”

Kertai raises powerful points about how the United States can “close the gaps” in public-private coordination through bipartisan legislation. He calls on legislation, including the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act and the Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization (SCAM) Act.

Some key points from his article:

Criminal networks launder stolen money, then reinvest profits into recruitment and infrastructure. The operations thrive in countries with weak governance, widespread corruption, fragmented law enforcement, and porous borders.
On the federal side, the Justice Department’s recently announced Scam Center Strike Force unites law-enforcement professionals at a national level to counter Southeast Asian scam centers. Likewise, the State and Treasury Departments, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Trade Commission have made efforts to address scam operations.
On the private-sector side, companies including Microsoft and Google have worked to identify and address criminal infrastructure and scam activity within their networks.
Beyond borders, the United States has opportunities to improve international cooperation with groups, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Cooperation with NGOs, such as Operation Shamrock, can help establish permanent public-private partnerships to facilitate intelligence sharing and coordinated responses.

What Is ITIF?

Founded in 2006, ITIF is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute that has been recognized as the world’s leading think tank for science and technology policy. Its supporters include corporations, charitable foundations, and individual contributors, and it has repeatedly earned a seal of transparency from Candid and three stars from Charity Navigator.

Full article: Policymakers Should Protect Consumers from Scammers’ Phishing Hooks