May 7, 2025
Mr. Steil (for himself, Mr. Harder of California, and Mr. Meuser) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
Supporting the designation of May 8, 2025, as National Scam Survivor Day
.
Whereas approximately 2,600,000 Americans filed fraud reports with the Federal Trade Commission in 2024;
Whereas it is estimated that American citizens lost more than $12,500,000,000 to scams in 2024, an increase of $2,500,000,000 from the previous year;
Whereas the Better Business Bureau found that 44 percent of scam reports in 2024 resulted in a dollar loss for the individual, with a 30 percent increase in average dollar loss per scam report;
Whereas scammers continue to develop new strategies to target American citizens, including—
(1)
social media scams, where the Federal Trade Commission estimates the highest overall reported losses, totaling $1,900,000,000;
(2)
small business scams such as fraudulent invoices, advertising offerings, and impersonations of government officials; and
(3)
scams using artificial intelligence to create false audio or video files;
Whereas targeting of at-risk individuals for scams is on the rise, including—
(1)
veterans, who reported $584,000,000 in losses to scams in 2024 alone, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and who are often targeted by individuals posing as Department of Veterans Affairs officials or health care providers;
(2)
seniors, in which a study by the University of Michigan found that 75 percent of Americans ages 50 to 80 experienced a scam attempt between 2021 and 2023, and 30 percent fell victim to a scam; and
(3)
young adults, who are now losing more money to scams than any other age group through fraudulent employment offers, investment opportunities, and checks and money orders, according to the Better Business Bureau; and
Whereas there is a greater need for increasing awareness of scams, including—
(1)
providing consumers and business owners with knowledge and tools to avoid scams;
(2)
encouraging Americans to utilize Federal Government resources to identify and address potential scams; and
(3)
improving the ability of Federal law enforcement to discover, track, and halt scam operations to protect the American people: Now, therefore, be it
Sec.
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
supports the designation of National Scam Survivor Day
;
(2)
encourages increased public awareness of scams and strategies to prevent or address scams;
(3)
recognizes the impact of scams on American citizens and businesses;
(4)
recognizes the importance of improving public access to scam prevention resources;
(5)
understands that encouraging scam survivors to tell their story combats the stigma that may prevent individuals from seeking the guidance and assistance they deserve;
(6)
supports the role of Federal and local law enforcement entities in addressing scams;
(7)
urges a collaborative approach to supporting scam survivors and prevent future scams among governmental, private, and nonprofit organizations; and
(8)
encourages continued improvements to existing scam prevention resource toolkits, support for scam survivors, and law enforcement efforts to hold scammers accountable.