Stop SCAMS Act

This legislation establishes a comprehensive, government-wide initiative to combat scams, led by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation . The FBI Director is tasked with coordinating this effort with the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and other relevant agencies. The primary goal is to create a unified and effective approach to addressing the widespread issue of scams affecting consumers. Within one year of the bill's enactment, the FBI Director must develop and implement a cohesive government-wide strategy to counter scams. A crucial component of this strategy involves adopting a single, consistent definition of "scam" and various scam types across all participating agencies. Furthermore, the bill requires exploring ways to harmonize data collection , ensuring consistent reporting on scam type, dollar loss amounts, payment methods, and other pertinent data fields. Within two years, the FBI Director must produce a single, comprehensive government-wide estimate of the number of consumers affected by scams annually, including an estimate for unreported incidents. This estimate must also detail the total dollar losses resulting from such scams. Additionally, within one year, the FBI, CFPB, and FTC are each required to report their respective estimates of scam complaints received and associated dollar losses. Each of these three agencies—the FBI, CFPB, and FTC—must also establish metrics and a plan to measure the effectiveness of their anti-scam training programs, whether offered in-person or via webinars. The bill mandates that the estimated number of complaints received by each agency be made publicly available in their annual reports on scams. This ensures transparency and allows for public oversight of the government's efforts to combat fraudulent activities.