Banks and the federal government point fingers as Americans lose billions to online scams

• The American Bankers Association is urging federal action on online financial fraud.
• Banks are facing increased liability for scams, with $10 billion in losses reported last year.
• ABA's proposed measures include a national strategy, new federal offices, and updated fraud laws.

Remember the Spider-Man meme where he points at himself? Banks and the federal government are in a similar situation, pointing to each other to solve the problem of online financial scams.

For its part, the government wants banks to take on more responsibility, and more consistently refund their customers who fall victim to online scams. Banks, on the other hand, want the government to do more to prevent those scams in the first place.

The problem is real. Almost 1 in 3 Americans have been the victim of a scam in the past year, with an average loss of $1,600 a person, according to a study from IPX, a financial analysis firm.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported more than $10 billion in losses last year from online scams. The agency's data also showed that consumers using payment apps reported losing $210 million.

It's also a major headache for the banks.

American Bankers Association CEO Rob Nichols called for the federal government to create a national scam prevention strategy last week. Nichols also said that Congress should "create and fund" an Office of Scam and Fraud Prevention while speaking to bankers at the association's annual convention in October.

"The scale of fraud taking place every day is a massive burden for our country and for the millions of hardworking women and men whose lives are affected by it," Nichols said at the convention, according to Forbes. "It will take a united effort — with support from both inside and outside the banking industry — to win this fight."

The government, meanwhile, has repeatedly called on financial institutions to improve compensation for victims who lose money to scams.

In August, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau launched an investigation into JP Morgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, all part owners of Zelle.

The investigation came after a Senate investigations committee found that reimbursements from the three banks for disputed transactions on the app fell from 62% in 2019 to 38% in 2023.

Also in August, three Democratic senators introduced a bill that would update the 1978 Electronic Fund Transfer Act to require financial institutions to share more of the burden when consumers are victimized by fraud.

Nichols said at the convention, however, that fighting back against fraud will require "a whole-of-government approach … that starts at the very top." He also said that the government should create "financial crimes intelligence centers." One already exists in Texas, which he said has been a "force multiplier for law enforcement" there.

Nichols also called on the FTC to create a database of reported spam text messages available for "all legitimate businesses to access." Nichols said this kind of database would help banks monitor how scams are evolving and "educate their customers" more effectively."