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Reports & Statistics

Resources for Addressing Financial Fraud

This resource library highlights practical tools, research and advocacy efforts focused on combating financial fraud, scams and misinformation. These materials provide insights for CFP® professionals, consumers and other stakeholders seeking to strengthen financial protection.

Explore this collection of industry research, legislative and regulatory advocacy information, and guides designed to help combat and mitigate financial fraud and exploitation and build greater financial security. These resources support awareness, prevention and response strategies while helping users to recognize emerging threats, navigate misinformation and make informed financial decisions.

CFP Board Resources

Advocacy Center — Legislative Tracker (CFP Board)

Follow the progress of bills impacting CFP® professionals and their clients. These include the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, which would help combat fraud, and the Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams and Disasters Act, which would help victims of financial fraud and scams.

CFP Board Calls for Financial Action, Not Just Financial Literacy (2026, April)

CFP Board’s comment letter to the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) outlines the need to modernize the U.S. National Strategy for Financial Literacy. CFP Board urges the FLEC to address the complexities and challenges of today’s economy, leverage opportunities created by new products and accounts, and prepare consumers to identify and combat ever-increasing and sophisticated financial frauds, scams and exploitation.

Read the Comment Letter

CFP Board, FPA® and NAPFA Submit Joint Comment Letter to FINRA on Combating Financial Exploitation (2026, March)

This joint comment letter urges FINRA to strengthen its rules to protect seniors and other vulnerable adults from financial exploitation and all investors from fraud.

Read the Comment Letter

CFP Board Supports Idaho Legislation to Protect Seniors From Financial Exploitation (2025, March)

CFP Board submitted testimony to Idaho's House Business Committee in favor of state legislation to protect seniors and other vulnerable adults from potential fraud and scams.

Read the Testimony

CFP Board Supports the Financial Exploitation Prevention and HYPE Acts (2026, April)

CFP Board submitted a statement for the record to the House Financial Services Committee’s Capital Markets Subcommittee for its hearing, “Safeguarding Main Street: Combatting Fraud and Exploitation in Our Capital Markets.” In the statement, CFP Board strongly endorsed the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2025 (H.R. 2478) and the Honesty in Your Promotion of Equities (HYPE) Act.

Read the Statement for the Record

Combating Online Financial Misinformation: A CFP® Professional’s Guide (2025, CFP Board)

This guide describes the top ten forms of financial misinformation, with examples commonly found on social media and ideas for how CFP® professionals can respond.

Don’t Fall For It: Guarding Against Financial Fraud (2026, CFP Board)

Financial fraud, scams and exploitation threaten to derail Americans’ financial security and, ultimately, their confidence in achieving their long-term financial goals. This survey explores how financial fraud impacts Americans, including how they have encountered fraud and the worries they have related to fraud and protecting themselves and loved ones.

Financial Misinformation in Social Media: A Consumer Guide (2025, CFP Board)

This toolkit helps you recognize misleading financial content. This guide outlines the top ten forms of financial misinformation and provides examples of fact-based social media posts as well as reliable sources.

Financial Planning Longitudinal Study (CFP Board)

This ongoing study shows that clients of CFP® professionals are significantly more likely to maintain emergency funds, have comprehensive financial plans and report lower financial anxiety — outcomes that make them demonstrably more resilient against fraud and exploitation.

How to Protect Yourself Against Scams (2024, Don Grant, CFP®)

Awareness and quick action are key defenses against financial fraud. Because scammers typically make the first contact, familiarizing oneself with their tactics can help individuals recognize red flags. By learning about common scam types and staying vigilant, Americans can better safeguard their finances and personal information.

Protecting Your Elderly Parent From Financial Fraud (2025, Laura J. LaTourette, CFP®)

Understanding the warning signs of financial exploitation and maintaining open communication about finances can help families identify risks early. This guide offers seven steps to help adult children advocate for their parents and safeguard their financial future.

Scott Kahan, CFP® Testifies Before Senate Aging Committee (2026, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Hearing)

In his testimony for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging’s hearing on “Empowering Seniors Through Financial Literacy: Tools to Protect Savings, Prevent Fraud and Promote Independence,” Scott Kahan, CFP® highlighted how financial literacy and access to trusted advice play a critical role in helping older Americans protect savings and maintain independence in retirement. Kahan also discussed the need to expand access to competent and ethical financial planning and the importance of the fiduciary standard.

Watch the Hearing

Steering Clear of Financial Misinformation: A Survey of Americans (2025, CFP Board)

While 3 in 4 Americans seek out financial information online at least once a month, 3 in 5 Americans regret a decision they made because of financial misinformation. As a result of misleading online information, 2 in 5 people have lost more than $250, and almost 1 in 5 have lost more than $1,000. In addition to direct monetary losses, Americans experience delays in financial decisions because of financial misinformation.

Other Helpful Tools and Resources

AARP BankSafe: Protection Against Financial Exploitation

This free program is designed to help banks, credit unions and financial professionals detect and prevent financial exploitation, particularly targeting older adults. Through interactive training, research and industry partnerships, BankSafe equips frontline staff with tools to recognize fraud warning signs, intervene effectively and protect consumers’ financial well-being.

AARP Fraud Watch Network™

This resource helps consumers recognize, avoid, and respond to scams and fraud. The program offers fraud alerts, educational tools, a scam-tracking map, podcasts and access to trained specialists through a free helpline.

Confident You Can Detect Financial Fraud? Think Again (2026, FINRA Investor Education Foundation)

The study found that fraud exposure is widespread: 90% of respondents reported receiving suspicious communications, and 14% said they had likely lost money to fraud in the past year. While relatively few consumers actively seek out fraud-prevention information, most engage with it when they encounter it, suggesting that frequent, broadly distributed fraud-awareness messaging may be more effective than expecting people to look for it themselves.

Consumer Education: Fraud and Scams (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau CFPB)

From the basics to how-to-guides, CFPB’s resources help consumers prevent, recognize and report scams and fraud. CFPB’s most recent Financial Literacy Annual Report highlights the work being done to equip consumers with tools and resources to identify and avoid fraud and scams.

Guarding Your Nest Egg: A Financial Resource Guide for Older Adults (2026, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging)

This bipartisan financial resource guide helps older adults make informed financial decisions and protect their retirement savings. The guide covers topics such as avoiding financial scams, Social Security, Medicare, retirement income, housing choices, disaster preparedness and charitable giving.

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report (FBI)

The FBI reported receiving over one million online financial crime complaints in 2025 with cybercrime losses amounting to almost $20.9 billion — a 26% increase from 2024. Complaints involving investment fraud reported losses of more than $8.6 billion.

Senior Investor Protection Toolkit (2017, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association SIFMA)

This toolkit is a comprehensive, free resource designed to help financial firms, caregivers, and older investors identify and prevent elder financial exploitation. It compiles actionable training tools, red flags and regulatory guidance to safeguard senior assets, and it can help advisors in their efforts to protect their clients.

Top Investor Threats (North American Securities Administrators Association NASAA)

To educate investors, state securities regulators have identified several financial products and practices that currently pose significant risks to unwary investors. These include social media and internet schemes and relationship/romance scams.

United We Stand: A National Strategy to Prevent Scams (2025, The Aspen Institute Financial Security Program)

With frauds and scams draining $150 billion from Americans each year, the National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention issued a report recommending a unified national approach to combat fraud, update legal frameworks and dismantle the business model that enables scams to thrive.