Government Approach to Disrupt Cyber Scams is 'Fragmented'

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Losses just from text scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission in 2024 rose to $470 million, "five times higher than what was reported in 2020." Now, a new initiative aims to raise cybersecurity awareness and provide users with tools to protect themselves against scams. These scams manipulate emotions like love and feed upon user behavior to respond to messages ringing of urgency. And they're only getting more realistic. Everyone either has their own story to tell or knows someone who was scammed. Betsy Cooper, founding director of the Aspen Policy Academy, certainly does. Her former nanny was scammed while trying to acquire a new Social Security card, and Cooper was personally affected after a family member lost thousands when he thought he was getting advice from Best Buy's Geek Squad. It turned out he was talking to scammers, and Cooper was forced to shut down a joint bank account associated with that family member because of the risk. These types of stories inspired Cooper and the Aspen Policy Academy—the educational arm of the non-profit Aspen Institute—to launch the new Cyber Civic Engagement program. The program is designed to turn individuals into community cyber security advocates. Backed by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the initiative will also build effective communication skills for engaging with government leaders to address the issue.Related:Microsoft Backs Massive AI Push in UAE, Raising Security Concerns"Ordinary people are experiencing a ton of scams, and don't know what to do," Cooper tells Dark Reading. "The government is in a position to try and prevent some of these things from happening." Getting the government involved is the most important step when it comes to resolving these issues, emphasizes Cooper. She called for preventive measures, such as more regulations around Google ads that lead users to click on fraudulent sites. One reason that scams happen so commonly is because there is little to no consequence for those who allow them to be perpetrated, she explains."I think we're getting into a brand new world with artificial intelligence where it's going to be even easier for the perpetrators to come up with convincing hacks," she warns. "If we don't get ahead of this now, the internet is not going to be a fun place to play on."Getting ahead requires interactions with federal and community government leaders. The initiative’s goal is to boost user cybersecurity awareness and to ensure that governments have strong security built into their systems, because that affects its citizens. Related:AI Agents Are Going Rogue: Here's How to Rein Them In"Ordinary people should have a voice in trying to ensure their communities are more secure and the most powerful voices among that are going to be people who have been personally scammed and can tell their stories," Cooper says. "We need governments to regulate others who are allowing these scams to perpetuate." Users are getting scammed at the community level when they try to pay a utility bill, or they get notified that their city government was hacked, and therefore they must get credit monitoring. Adding a personal touch is the way to get the point across; scams require greater attention and more importantly, action. The Cyber Civic Engagement program will outline clear tips on how to engage with the government. It's important for users to be clear, concise, and direct. Rather than saying, “cybersecurity is a problem,” or “I want stronger cybersecurity,” Cooper advises participants to get specific. For example, demand multifactor authentication for utility logins. The program aims to help participants determine which branch of government is the right one to reach out to, and the best method. Government agencies will answer calls more than respond to emails.  Related:Dark Reading Confidential: Cyber's Role in the Rapid Rise of Digital Authoritarianism"While most people avoid the phone like the plague, governments love the phone because they're afraid of getting sued, so they prefer to have things not written down," Cooper explains. "They're more likely to pick up the phone more than anyone else on the planet."  Various U.S. government departments have worked to curb the surge in cybersecurity scams. The Justice Department launched the Cyber Fraud Initiative in 2021, and the U.S. Department of Treasury continues to impose sanctions on those involved in the proliferation of scams. While the initiatives are worthwhile, government action is not entirely effective because the strategy is fragmented, explains Allison Pytlak, senior fellow and director of the cyber program at the Stimson Center. Another complicating factor is that traditional law enforcement is not equipped or trained to deal with this scam phenomenon, she adds. There needs to be clarity regarding a national reporting center, because right now it's unclear, Pytlak explains. Users may not know who to report to, whether it's their bank or the police."I think a lot of experts, or people who are tracking this issue feel like it's time to get a task force to bring these different types of government (agencies) together," she adds.It's not surprising that the approach has been fragmented, stresses Pytlak. It is a natural byproduct of the issue’s many dimensions. Responses must consider the community of users, as well as the cybersecurity community, since it is a cyber-enabled threat.  Scam chains create different levels of responsibility, which adds another twist. There's the financial angle, which begs the question: When banks see large sums of money being withdrawn from a customer account, do they have a responsibility to act? Then there's the telecommunication angle – the texts that start the scams. The chain creates murkiness as to where federal government oversight fits in, because there's a space for private sector responsibility as well, says Pytlak. She called for a whole-of-society approach to quell the threat. "I think in the last 6 months, it's reaching a tipping point," she warns. "Financial loss is so great, it's prompting greater action and maybe that’s the incentive for the government to take action. It also becomes a matter of national security." Pytlak encourages people to tell their stories and how scams personally affected them. Victims sharing stories and more vitally, the impact they endured, is vital to curbing the ongoing threat, she agrees. Reading about the staggering losses online is one thing. Hearing firsthand accounts is another."When you hear, or talk to someone who has been duped, or lost a lot of money, it's that personal impact that can really move the needle on things," she says.Arielle WaldmanFeatures Writer, Dark ReadingArielle spent the last decade working as a reporter, transitioning from human interest stories to covering all things cybersecurity related in 2020. Now, as a features writer for Dark Reading, she delves into the security problems enterprises face daily, hoping to provide context and actionable steps. She previously lived in Florida where she wrote for the Tampa Bay Times before returning to Boston where her cybersecurity career took off at SearchSecurity. When she's not writing about cybersecurity, she pursues personal projects that include a mystery novel and poetry collection.   DigiCert RADAR - Risk Analysis, Detection & Attack Reconnaissance2025 DigiCert DDoS Biannual ReportThe Total Economic Impact of DigiCert ONEIDC MarketScape: Worldwide Exposure Management 2025 Vendor AssessmentThe Forrester Wave™: Unified Vulnerability Management Solutions, Q3 2025How AI & Autonomous Patching Eliminate Exposure RisksThe Cloud is No Longer Enough: Securing the Modern Digital PerimeterSecuring the Hybrid Workforce: Challenges and SolutionsCybersecurity Outlook 2026Threat Hunting Tools & Techniques for Staying Ahead of Cyber AdversariesYou May Also LikeWhat Makes Ransomware Groups Successful?Zombie Projects Rise Again to Undermine SecurityFrom Power Users to Protective Stewards: How to Tune Security Training for Specialized EmployeesInside the Data on Insider Threats: What 1,000 Real Cases Reveal About Hidden RiskCopyright © 2025 TechTarget, Inc. d/b/a Informa TechTarget. 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