National Strategy for Combating Scams Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 3355
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Commerce
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-04: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-15T07:07:46Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The National Strategy for Combating Scams Act of 2025 aims to create a coordinated federal approach to fighting scams by developing a comprehensive national strategy. It addresses the growing problem of fraud, which affected over 141 million U.S. adults and caused more than $12 billion in losses in 2024, with a focus on protecting vulnerable groups like older adults and leveraging technology such as artificial intelligence to counter evolving threats.
Key Provisions
- Establishment of a Working Group: Within 90 days of enactment, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) must form a working group including leaders from 17 specified federal agencies (e.g., Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Justice, and Securities and Exchange Commission) and others as needed.
- Development of the National Strategy: The working group must create a strategy that:
- Gathers input from diverse community stakeholders, including scam survivors, older adults, disability groups, law enforcement, businesses (e.g., tech and financial companies), non-profits, and government officials.
- Defines "scam" for use by the FBI, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), with analysis on its adoption by other agencies.
- Assesses scam risks (e.g., financial, health, and national security threats) and prevention methods, including best practices for governments, businesses, and individuals.
- Outlines agency roles, responsibilities, and a plan for unified data collection, consumer reporting, and estimating total scam incidents (including unreported ones).
- Promotes coordination, such as sharing data with private sectors, rapid response protocols, cross-government task forces, and international efforts against cross-border scams.
- Evaluates victim recovery support, needed resources, and potential legal or regulatory changes.
- Submission and Updates: The strategy must be submitted to key congressional committees (Senate Special Committee on Aging, Senate Judiciary Committee, House Judiciary Committee) and published online within 2 years. It requires updates every 5 years, incorporating new feedback and revising the scam definition as needed.
- Adoption of Scam Definition: Within 1 year of the strategy's publication, the FBI, FTC, and CFPB must adopt the common "scam" definition; updates follow the same timeline.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a centralized national strategy, shifting from independent agency efforts (as noted by the Government Accountability Office) to coordinated action led by the FBI.
- Mandates a uniform federal definition of "scam," which could standardize reporting and enforcement across agencies, unlike the current fragmented approaches.
- Requires new mechanisms for data sharing, deconfliction of overlapping duties, and private-sector partnerships, potentially altering how agencies like the FTC and Department of Homeland Security handle fraud investigations.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Enhances inter-agency collaboration, reduces duplication, and improves data interoperability, potentially leading to more efficient use of resources and better enforcement against scams, including those using AI like deepfake voices.
- On Citizens: Increases scam prevention through better warnings, accessible reporting (e.g., for people with disabilities), and victim support, particularly benefiting older adults who face heightened mental health and financial risks; could reduce overall fraud losses by encouraging reporting and recovery.
- On International Relations: Boosts cross-border cooperation with foreign governments to tackle scams originating abroad, potentially strengthening U.S. diplomatic efforts on cybercrime and economic security without creating new treaties.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: FBI (lead), FTC, CFPB, and others like the Department of Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security, who will need to align operations and share data.
- State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Involved in coordination for prevention, enforcement, and potential elder justice task forces.
- Private Sector: Businesses in finance, telecom, tech, and social media, required to share scam-related data and block fraudulent activities.
- Vulnerable Populations: Older adults, people with disabilities, scam survivors, and their advocacy groups, who gain from tailored prevention and recovery resources.
- General Public and Non-Profits: Benefits from unified reporting and education; non-profits and experts contribute feedback and implement best practices.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Promotes harmonized data collection and enforcement without granting new powers, but identifies needed changes (e.g., regulatory updates for AI in scams), which could lead to future legislation; emphasizes victim-centered approaches without altering privacy laws directly.
- Constitutional: Aligns with federal authority over interstate commerce and national security (e.g., under the Commerce Clause), focusing on coordination rather than mandating state actions, avoiding federalism conflicts.
- Political: Represents bipartisan consumer protection efforts (introduced by Senators Gillibrand, Scott, Kelly, and Moody), highlighting scam epidemics as a non-partisan issue; could influence budget allocations for anti-fraud programs and public trust in government responsiveness to everyday threats.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Cosponsors (4)
Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL], Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ], Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL], Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-04: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-12-04: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- National Strategy for Combating Scams Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-04 — PDF (12 pages)