Whereas citizens of the United States reported losing $16,600,000,000 to scams in 2024;

Whereas losses to such scams grew by 33 percent between 2023 and 2024;

Whereas the Federal Trade Commission estimates that the true amount of money lost by citizens of the United States to scams in 2024 could be closer to $158,300,000,000 when accounting for underreporting;

Whereas criminal organizations across the globe are engaging in coordinated and complex scam operations;

Whereas troubling links exist between the People’s Republic of China and criminal scam syndicates operating in Southeast Asian countries such as Burma, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the Kingdom of Cambodia;

Whereas the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and other Mexican cartels are using revenue from scam operations to supplement the decreasing drug trafficking proceeds received by such cartels;

Whereas hundreds of thousands of victims from at least 77 countries have been trafficked and forced to conduct scams against their will under the threat of torture;

Whereas citizens of the United States have had their lives torn apart after being subjected to immense financial and psychological devastation by scammers;

Whereas the United States must combat scams through a coordinated whole-of-government approach, partnerships with relevant private industry actors, and educational campaigns; and

Whereas it is the responsibility of the Federal Government, private industry, and nonprofits to raise awareness about how to identify and report scams: Now, therefore, be it