05/14/2026
In 2026, ads target us if we only search or even say a word. License plates can be photographed by satellites in space. Airmen can be detected in the middle of Iran based on their heartbeat. Yet somehow, stopping scammers is something straight out of science fiction?
As many of you know, I am on my honeymoon, so I've had more limited availability, but earlier in the week I got an alarming message that immediately caught my attention.
To make a long story short, a scammer stole one of my rental listings to create their own fake listing on Craigslist and tricked someone into handing over current photos, social security numbers, drivers licenses, and application fees for herself and three other people that live with her.
This week's scam was particularly egregious so I immediately called the Pennsylvania State Police. The Trooper told me that - despite the scammer stealing my intellectual property to defraud people - I'm not the victim so nothing can be done. The victim has to make the report.
I informed the victim who immediately contacted the Pennsylvania State Police to make a report. She was told that despite her and 3 others being scammed out of money and confidential personal information, there was nothing the State Police could do. She would just have to call her bank.
Every single time I post a property for rent, scammers steal and repost my listing including the address, photos, and description. Even if I put watermarks on the photos and report the scam to the listing website and law enforcement, nothing stops them, the listings often remain active, and there are never any legal consequences.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans reported being scammed out of about $12.5 billion in 2024 while the estimated true cost of online scams (not everyone reports being scammed) was likely closer to $119 billion.
To put that into perspective, according to figures from the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 2024 total loss for vehicle thefts in the United States was $7-8 billion dollars, and according to data from the National Fire Protection Association, the estimated damage caused by arson in 2024 was anywhere from $2-5 billion.
In other words, based on conservative estimates, every year, Americans are scammed out of about 10x the value of all grand theft autos and arsons combined, but nothing can be done about these scammers? What if we didn't react to grand theft auto and arson crimes, let alone a crime that causes 10x the damage of both combined? That is exactly what is happening.
Yes, I understand the technologies are not the same, but advertisers can target us within seconds based on a word we search or even say, we can read license plates from satellites in space, and we can locate a downed airmen in the middle of Iran by detecting his heartbeat, but somehow we are utterly hoodwinked by scammers?
Yes, I understand the laws and enforcement are not the same, but the government can implement elaborate sting and enforcement operations to bust drug dealers, prostitutes, illegal immigrants, uninsured drivers, speeders, people posting "hate speech" online, and people not wearing their seat belts, but somehow catching scammers is inconceivable?
As technology and scams become evermore elaborate and convincing, something must change to safeguard not just the weak and vulnerable, but also the hyper aware yet unsuspecting. In a recent example, scammers are covering up QR codes at parking garages, and when parkers innocently scan the code to pay for their parking, their phone and identify are hacked.
Before we surrender to the idea that the task at hand is insurmountable, let's not forget that the National Security Administration already performs mass surveillance on the entire world, that our exact location and identity can be determined even when using private browsers or VPNs, and people are routinely arrested throughout the world for harmless Facebook posts.
This is a David vs. Goliath moment, but instead of Goliath arrogantly assuming he has defeated David before the battle even began, in this case, Goliath is sitting down and surrendering without even trying to put up a fight.
It is certain that the world will always have a population of innocent and unsuspecting would-be scam victims and it is certain that the scammers and technology will only become evermore sophisticated and determined. That doesn't mean we have to sit by idly and let the world be scammed out of trillions of dollars.
