Americans are being cyberscammed out of billions and few are getting their money back

Last year, Americans reported cyberfraud losses of about $18 billion to the FBI.

The sun rises behind the Capitol Dome in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, two weeks before the midterm elections that will determine political control of Congress. [Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo]

The U.S. government isn’t doing enough to fight the surge in cyberscams, and partnerships with the private sector remain fragmented and voluntary, an investigation into the global scam industry led by the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress has found.The government doesn’t even have a unified accounting of how much money has been seized from overseas scam compounds, nor how much has been returned to victims, according to the report, released Tuesday by ranking Democrats Sen. Maggie Hassan and Rep. Don Beyer.Citing findings from a yearlong investigation into global scams by The Associated Press and FRONTLINE, the report called for greater collaboration across agencies, support for victims, and deeper private sector engagement.“Transnational criminal organizations run massive compounds that........

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