Gallup and Stop Scams Alliance to Explore the Scope and Impact of Scams in American Life

Survey will assess prevalence, losses and reporting behaviors to support smarter consumer protections.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Gallup and Stop Scams Alliance today announced a new research collaboration to better understand how scams impact the lives of Americans. This initiative will explore public attitudes toward scams, personal experiences with financial fraud, and behaviors around reporting and prevention. New Gallup data show that 53% of U.S. adults worry about being tricked into sending money or providing access to their financial accounts, making it one of the top crime-related concerns in the country, second only to identity theft. Similar results were observed in 2023 and 2024. The persistence of these concerns underscores the need for more comprehensive data on how scams affect Americans and what can be done to prevent them, especially since these crimes are significantly underreported.

Uncovering the Full Ramifications of Scams

The new survey will assess the prevalence of scams, the magnitude of financial losses, barriers to reporting, and the broader social and psychological consequences of scams in everyday life. Importantly, the survey will also provide one of the first national baselines for understanding scams as a measurable public issue. The ongoing measure will equip policymakers, researchers, and leaders in finance, technology, telecommunications, and consumer protection with insights to better understand the full extent of this widespread and growing issue.

As scams become more frequent and sophisticated, the survey will examine how scammers most commonly reach people, what influences whether victims report them, and which types of interventions might be most effective. Key aims of the research are to elevate public awareness of the scamming crisis, quantify its true scale, and provide a lasting framework for measuring progress over time.

Strengthening Prevention Through Insight

Americans are being targeted by scams at unprecedented rates, from online phishing and investment fraud to romance scams and impersonation schemes. Yet many incidents are never reported, leaving critical gaps in data and understanding. This new research comes at a time when coordinated, preventive responses are urgently needed to disrupt the ways scammers contact and manipulate individuals, placing greater emphasis on prevention rather than recovery alone.

"Stop Scams Alliance commissioned this survey because we believe good policy requires good data. It will be one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on the nature and scope of scams in America," said Ken Westbrook, Founder and CEO of Stop Scams Alliance. "The results will give policymakers, law enforcement, and private sector partners the insights needed to defend the nation from large-scale global criminal operations targeting U.S. citizens. We are proud to partner with Gallup, the nation's leader in public-opinion research, in this groundbreaking initiative."

A Coalition Dedicated to Consumer Safety

This research is made possible through the support of a cross-industry coalition of partners from the technology, telecommunications, and finance sectors who are dedicated to combating the growing scourge of scams. Funders include JPMorganChase, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, American Bankers Association Foundation, AT&T, Checkr.org, Feedzai, Meta, Match Group, M3AAWG, Navy Federal Credit Union, Netcraft, and Somos.

Initial results will be released in the Spring of 2026.

About Stop Scams Alliance

Stop Scams Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to significantly reduce scams in the United States through a comprehensive, systemic approach involving public-private partnership and cross-sector cooperation from technology, telecom, financial institutions, consumer advocacy groups, and government. The focus is to stop scams at the source, before they reach the consumer in the first place. 

About Gallup

Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 90 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of the world's constituents than any other organization.

Media Contact:
annie_speer@gallup.com

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SOURCE Gallup, Inc.