Congress report: US lacks unified strategy against cyber scams

A yearlong investigation by the Joint Economic Committee found the US government has no unified accounting of funds seized from overseas scam compounds or returned to victims. Americans reported nearly $18 billion in cyberfraud losses in 2025, while recoveries covered only a fraction of that.

• FBI returned $336 million to scam victims in 2025
• FTC returned $1.83 billion but can't isolate overseas scam losses
• Americans reported nearly $18 billion in losses — over $2 million an hour
• Report urges Congress to pass a unified federal anti-scam strategy