News release
Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, marked National Scam Survivor Day by bringing together survivors who have been personally targeted by fraud, the internet’s most prominent scam-fighting creators, and members of Congress to elevate the urgent and growing threat of scams against American consumers, while highlighting legislative solutions to address it, said a news release from the congressman’s office.
The press conference featured Ashton Bingham and Art Kulik of Trilogy Media, the viral YouTube duo whose docuseries “Scammed: Getting Even” has brought scam-busting to a mainstream audience, as well as Kitboga, one of the most widely followed scam-baiting content creators in the country with over 3 million YouTube subscribers. Judith Boivin from Maryland shared her personal story, and members of the Stop Scams Caucus highlighted important legislation to protect Americans from fraud and strengthen the federal government’s ability to hold scammers accountable.
“As scams become more sophisticated, and more devastating – especially with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence – it’s imperative that we bring the full weight of the government to meet this growing threat,” Whitesides said in a news release after last week’s event in Washington, D.C. “I’ll keep pushing for legislative improvements, while working with brave survivors like Judith, and advocates like Art, Ashton, and Kitboga, who have done so much to fight back against scams in their own lives. Everyone needs to do their part – lawmakers, advocates, social media companies who can take a more aggressive approach to de-platforming scammers, large financial institutions who can monitor for suspicious transactions, and our enforcement agencies who can better crack down on bad actors.”
Recent FBI reports show that Americans lost a record $21 billion to scams in 2025, and experts believe true losses are significantly higher due to underreporting, the release said.
Scammers increasingly target seniors, veterans and vulnerable families through phone fraud, romance scams, cryptocurrency cons, and government impersonation schemes. As these schemes grow more sophisticated and more devastating, Whitesides and the speakers emphasized the need for Congress to quickly address this issue.
Earlier that day, Whitesides introduced the Veteran Scam Victim Foundation Act. According to the release, this legislation would:
• Establish a nonprofit foundation to direct charitable contributions toward veterans and their beneficiaries who fall victim to financial exploitation.
• Support the Department of Veterans Affairs scam prevention education and victim services initiatives.
