Harder Resolution Would Make Tomorrow National Scam Survivor Day
Americans lost $10 billion to scams and fraud last year; more than 2022’s record-high $8.8 billion and nearly 300% higher than in 2020, according to an FTC report
This week, Rep. Harder introduced a resolution to make tomorrow, May 9th, National Scam Survivor Day
Watch Rep. Harder’s PSA about scams and fraud HERE.
WASHINGTON – As scams and fraud continue to skyrocket, Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) introduced a resolution to designate May 9th as National Scam Survivor Day. Criminals who commit fraud cost Americans more than $10 billion in 2023 – an almost 300% increase from 2020. By formally recognizing this day, the bipartisan resolution highlights the impact scams have on victims and pushes for more action to protect families from scamsters. The reported losses for 2023 broke 2022’s record of $8.8 billion and the numbers are likely much higher because victims of scams often feel too embarrassed or ashamed to file reports.
The most common and costly form of financial fraud is imposter scams where criminals pretend to be government agencies or well-known companies. These scams are also becoming more difficult to detect thanks to AI tools. Rep. Harder introduced the Artificial Intelligence Accountability Act last year to make sure criminals aren’t using AI technology to commit crimes and scam people out of their hard-earned money.
“Criminals are getting better and more advanced with AI technology and other high-tech tools, and it’s costing our families more and more every year,” said Rep. Harder. “Seniors have lost their entire life savings, and parents have lost thousands in savings trying to save their kids from emergencies made up by scammers. It’s heartbreaking and we should be talking about it so people can protect themselves from these ruthless scammers. By creating a National Scam Survivor Day, I hope we can remove the stigma around falling victim to scams and raise awareness. We also need better anti-fraud tools so we can keep up with scammers and protect hard-working families.”
Earlier this year in a bipartisan letter to Senate Leader Schumer, Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader McConnell, and House Minority Leader Jeffries, Rep. Harder called out the disturbing increase in fraud and pushed for new anti-fraud efforts across agencies and support for innovative technology solutions to prevent financial fraud. This continues Rep. Harder’s work to protect families and taxpayers from financial fraud and scams.
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