What’s Unifying Americans in Polarizing Times? Scams.

In an era defined by deep polarization and fragmentation, it is rare to find a topic that brings Americans together. Yet, scams have achieved exactly that. Data from a new Stop Scams Alliance and Gallup study,¹ supported by a coalition of donors, is unambiguous: virtually all American adults (98%) believe scams pose a national security threat to the country, with two-thirds characterizing that threat as a “major” one.

Gallup’s data shows that in an age where it is hard to find consensus on anything, Americans have bipartisan agreement with majority shares of both Democrats (87%) and Republicans (76%) saying the government is not doing enough to fight and protect citizens against this threat. 

Key Takeaways

• New research from Gallup and the Stop Scams Alliance, reveals 98% of Americans believe scams pose a national security threat to the country.
• Gallup’s research found 6% of American adults, roughly 15.1 million individuals, fell victim to financial scams in 2025.
• The issue is showing unity across political lines with 87% of Democrats and 76% of Republicans saying the government is not doing enough to address scams.
• Gallup’s data highlights a major reporting gap with 75% of victims not reporting scams because they are uncertain it would make a difference. 
• A majority of scam victims (55%) first report their experience to their bank making financial institutions critical players in closing the reporting gap with law enforcement and federal agencies.

Gallup Data: Scams Create a Crisis of Confidence 

The reality of the impact behind the threat of scams is staggering. Gallup’s research found 15.1 million US adults fell victim to financial scams in 2025, resulting in an aggregate loss of $68 billion. The average amount of money lost in a scam was $5,578. When you consider the cumulative impact over the last several years since Covid, the term “scamdemic” seems appropriate.

This shared anxiety is a powerful signal. When more than eight in 10 Americans believe that our government needs to do more to address the threat of scams, it indicates that the public is not just frustrated, but eager for institutional leadership.

Individuals and business owners look to financial institutions, telecom companies, social platforms, and technology providers to keep them safe. Meanwhile, they believe there is a unique and pressing need for our government institutions to step up, demonstrate meaningful leadership, and restore the trust that we all deserve in our day-to-day lives.

While these numbers grab headlines, they obscure the deeper, more corrosive problem: the human toll. The majority of victims reported that these experiences negatively affected their mental health and well-being. Victims felt shame, betrayal, and self-blame that persisted beyond the financial loss.

Fixing the Scams Problem Requires Measuring It

The emotional weight creates a second, more structural gap, where the lack of scam reporting leaves law enforcement unaware and unempowered to mobilize against this threat.

We cannot fix what we cannot measure. A critical finding in Gallup’s research is the vast “reporting gap” that currently handicaps our collective defenses with 75% of victims not reporting their scam.

How serious is the reporting problem? Gallup’s data shows only one in 10 victims report a scam experience to federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Only 7% reported to a federal law enforcement agency. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) don’t know where to report a hypothetical scam of $5,000.

Why the silence? The survey shows three clear reasons: most non-reporting victims didn’t believe it would help them recover their money, and many others didn’t think it would help stop future scams. Perhaps most damning is the sheer confusion: over half of those who did not report cited uncertainty about where and how to report.

This fragmentation creates massive blind spots that benefit criminal networks. Every unaccounted for scam is an opportunity for criminals to refine their tactics without interference. We need to simplify fraud reporting so that data flows back to the institutions that can take action in real time, effectively turning individual reports into collective intelligence. 

Getting this right requires us to create a unified intelligence loop. If most scam victims first reach out to their bank, financial institutions are not just passive recipients of data. They are part of the essential “first responders” to this national threat. If we can bridge this gap, we can transform passive data into active protection. 

Redefining the Role of Financial Institutions

Among victims who did report their scam, Gallup’s data shows most scam victims (55%) report their experience to a financial institution. An additional  quarter (25%) report to a FinTech or financial payment app provider (like CashApp, PayPal, or Zelle).

Banks are uniquely positioned as guardians of the economy and can embrace their position as a nexus of signal. As the primary point of contact for the majority of victims, banks possess unique intelligence that can fuel a broader defense. By serving as a model for cross-bank and cross-sector collaboration, they can work in concert with telcos, tech platforms, and government agencies to build a societal shield against scams. 

This approach shifts the burden of safety toward collective public-private partnerships and creates a unified, proactive layer where intelligence is shared and threats are stopped before they manifest. Building this protective layer is not just an industry-level responsibility. It is a national security requirement. 

Bending the Curve Against Scams

As we shift from isolated defenses to a nexus of signals, we must align our efforts with the broader mandate for government-led action in order to achieve the ultimate objective: bending the curve on scam attack volume, and losses.

The findings from this Gallup study serve as a stark reminder that this safety and security crisis spans industries, sectors, and, crucially, political divides. Americans are united by a shared recognition that scams are not merely a financial inconvenience but a significant national security threat. With large majorities of both sides of the political aisle agreeing that the government is currently doing too little, the mandate for action is clear.

By aligning our data, our technology, and our public response, we can and we must bend the curve on rising scam threats, losses, and the growing human toll. It is time for national security coordination at the highest levels, bringing together government leadership, financial institutions, and infrastructure providers to build a unified defense. 

We must create an ecosystem where safety and collaboration is not an optional feature, but the default part of the operating system. The data shows us exactly what the public demands: leadership, action, and cross-sector collaboration.

Additional Resources

• Blog: What Is APP Fraud? A Simple Guide to Authorized Push Payment Scams
• Report: Fraud Detection Benchmarking Report
• Solution Brief: The Intelligence to Spot a Scam. The Speed to Stop It.
• Solution: Transaction Fraud Detection & Prevention Solutions