Right now, if you get scammed out of your hard-earned money, figuring out where to report it can feel like navigating an endless maze. A single fraud complaint can end up scattered across 13 different federal agencies, leaving victims confused, overwhelmed, and unsure of what to do next. A new bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate wants to scrap that broken system entirely.
Senate Aging Committee Chairman Rick Scott and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan have teamed up to introduce the ReportScams.gov Act. The legislation would create a single, centralized online hub called ReportScams.gov, giving Americans one clear, user-friendly place to report cybercrimes and immediately get steered toward help.
Lawmakers state that the current lack of a unified federal strategy allows massive rates of cybercrime to slip through the cracks. By creating a central repository, the bill aims to bridge the gap between victims and law enforcement.
Chairman Scott emphasized that the issue stretches far beyond simple economics, noting how deeply these crimes impact everyday citizens.
“Scammers and fraudsters have gotten completely out of control and prey on the most vulnerable Americans, especially seniors,” Scott said. “At best, they bombard victims with relentless phone calls and messages. At worst, they pinpoint targets to steal hard-earned savings and destroy lives. Fraud prevention isn’t just a financial issue; it’s a matter of national security and dignity for older Americans. ReportScams.gov will create a centralized platform to report these fraudulent activities, and I’m proud to join Senator Hassan to tackle this growing problem.”
Senator Hassan pointed out that the current fractured setup actually helps criminals escape justice by discouraging people from coming forward.
“Today, with no central hub to combat scams, Americans are forced to navigate a maze of agencies and websites when they want to report a scam and get help,” Hassan said. “That leads to people not reporting these scams at all, helping criminals evade accountability for the financial devastation that a scam can cause. This bipartisan bill will establish a comprehensive, unified plan to thwart scammers and provide consumers with one clear user-friendly portal where they can report scams and alert law enforcement.”
According to the text of the bill, the new ReportScams.gov portal will feature several core tools to aid the public and law enforcement:
- Direct Reporting: A secure portal where citizens can directly submit details about fraud.
- Rapid Routing: Reports and victim contact details will be automatically sent to the correct federal and state law enforcement agencies so investigators can quickly follow up.
- Educational Materials: Descriptions of current trending scams and resources to help people spot fraud.
- Impersonation Protection: Tools to help users recognize and guard against scammers pretending to be banks, private businesses, or government agencies.
- Victim Support: Clear resources and information to assist Americans who have already fallen victim to fraud.
Beyond the website itself, the bill establishes a broader strategic framework to fight cybercrime. It mandates the creation of an interagency Scams Steering Committee and a comprehensive Federal Scams Action Plan. Notably, it sets an ambitious four-year target for the federal government to actively reduce both the total number and the overall financial cost of scams targeting Americans.
A wide array of consumer advocacy groups and legal experts have already thrown their weight behind the proposal. Erin West, a veteran prosecutor and the founder of Operation Shamrock, stressed that fraud is a highly organized, international business that requires an equally organized government response.
“After twenty-six years as a prosecutor, I can tell you that scams are not isolated crimes,” West said. “They are a coordinated, transnational industry, and the federal response has to be just as coordinated. The ReportScams.gov Act builds the infrastructure we have been missing — a single reporting portal for victims, a steering committee across every agency that touches this fight, and accountability through quarterly reporting and a four-year reduction target.”
Michele Stockwell, president of Bipartisan Policy Center Action, praised the joint effort, stating that the bill “will coordinate and centralize federal efforts to counter increasingly pervasive and sophisticated scams.”
Nils Mueller, the director of the North American Chapter of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, agreed that the sheer difficulty of finding where to report fraud often acts as a massive barrier for victims. He noted that the bill’s inclusion of annual public reporting requirements and Government Accountability Office (GAO) oversight provisions will provide vital accountability to “help sustain momentum beyond the initial implementation window.”
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