In November 2024, Amazon hosted and sponsored the Global Anti-Scam Summit (GASS) Americas 2024. The summit, organized by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), is an annual event held in various locations worldwide, focusing on the prevention and reduction of online scams and fraud. The first-ever GASA summit hosted in the United States, it brought governments, consumer, financial authorities, law enforcement, and cybersecurity companies together to share knowledge and define joint actions to help protect consumers from scams.
Online scams accounted for more than $1.026 trillion lost in 2023 according to the GASA Global State of Scams Report. By working together across industries and around the world, we can aim to build a world where consumers navigate their lives confident that they will not fall victim to scams.
The summit featured a series of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive workshops addressing the most pressing issues related to online scams. Keynote speakers included cybercrime experts and thought leaders who shared insights on the latest trends in scam tactics and prevention strategies. Panel discussions provided a platform for various stakeholders to discuss collaborative approaches to combatting fraud, while workshops offered hands-on experiences in using advanced tools and technologies to detect and help prevent scams. Attendees were also given opportunities to network and forge partnerships aimed at strengthening global efforts against online scams.
“The Global Anti-Scam Summit Americas 2024 was a landmark event in our fight against online fraud. Amazon’s hosting of this summit demonstrates their strong commitment to protecting consumers around the world,” said Jorij Abraham, Managing Director at the Global Anti-Scam Alliance. “By bringing together experts from government, law enforcement, and industry, we’ve fostered the collaboration needed to tackle evolving online scams effectively. This summit has significantly strengthened our collective ability to help protect consumers worldwide, and we’re grateful for Amazon’s partnership in this crucial mission.”
Amplifying global consumer protection through collaboration
While scams are not a new problem, the opportunities for scammers to commit their crimes have increased due to the rise of internet adoption and greater access to sophisticated technologies. Scammers evolve their tactics and use social engineering to exploit consumer trust. In fact, according to a 2023 study on the Global State of Scams by the GASA, 78% of participants experienced at least one scam in the last 12 months, and only 7% of all scam victims report the crime to law enforcement.
In addressing these challenges, the summit enhanced knowledge exchange and fostered the development of coordinated strategies to combat scams more effectively across various sectors and geographical boundaries. This multinational and multi-sectoral collaboration led to more comprehensive and effective solutions, enhancing the overall protective measures against scams, while providing consumers with a safer online environment. Together, attendees were able to better share resources and intelligence, and better coordinate strategies to disrupt and dismantle scammers’ intricate networks.
“Protecting consumers from scams is a global, cross-industry challenge that requires considerable collaboration. I’m encouraged by the progress we’re seeing on this front at the Global Anti-Scam Summit Americas. At Amazon, we are excited to explore these collaborative efforts that help protect not only our customers, but all consumers,” said Head of External Relations for Customer Experience Integrity at Amazon, Abigail Bishop. “This summit highlighted how, together, we can work to stop scams at the source and help consumers when they need it most.”
Our commitment
Amazon is committed to protecting customers against scams and ensuring that scammers don’t take advantage of people who trust us. We leverage strategies to keep customers safe that include building innovative technologies that shield accounts and detect fraudulent attempts, creating educational initiatives to help consumers know which communications are authentic, and fostering partnerships with law enforcement to hold bad actors accountable. In 2023, the number of Amazon customers that fell victim to an Amazon impersonation scam decreased by 15% from the previous year.
“Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk, and while customers are safe in our store, we are committed to ensuring bad actors are not using our brand to take advantage of people who trust us,” said Scott Knapp, Vice President of Worldwide Buyer Risk Prevention at Amazon, who spoke on the panel ‘The Power of Networks to Defeat Networks’. “We take a proactive approach to combating fraud through implementing innovative technology, consumer education, and holding bad actors accountable. We are eager to continue to partner with, and learn from, others who share our objectives in protecting consumers from scams.”
Learn more about our approach to scam prevention or read about the latest scam trends.