In summer 2025, the Federal Reserve released two new online toolkits to help further educate the industry on payments fraud and potential ways to help detect and mitigate it. As increased awareness can help individuals and organizations better protect themselves against financial losses, these toolkits initially focused on foundational knowledge, such as the basics of scams and check fraud and common scenarios that illustrate human vulnerabilities that make it feasible for criminals to profit accordingly.
In October, the toolkits were expanded with additional modules, insights and downloadable resources — including eight brief educational videos to bring common scam and check fraud tactics to life.
Scams Mitigation Toolkit
The Scams Mitigation Toolkit now offers three new modules:
- Scam Prevention and Detection — Among other topics, summarizes scam prevention basics, defenses and considerations when seeking to detect scams.
- ScamClassifierSM Model — Highlights a voluntary classification structure that supports consistent and detailed classification, reporting, analysis and identification of scams and related trends.
- Scam Information Sharing — Notes that shared information on current scam trends, known bad actors, data or risk signals can help disrupt criminals’ schemes.
Throughout all six toolkit modules, downloadable resources dive deeply into related topics for financial institutions, service providers, other businesses and individuals. Two new videos focus on scam tactics and stopping scam payments through prevention and detection.
Check Fraud Mitigation Toolkit
The Check Fraud Mitigation Toolkit has added a new interactive assessment and more downloadable resources to its three modules on check fraud basics, check fraud schemes, and preventing and detecting check fraud. The expanded toolkit now features six videos on common check fraud schemes; deposit fraud; new account check fraud; in-clearing check fraud; types of fraudulent checks; and — information that often is very important for effective detection of criminals — who commits check fraud.
“At the Federal Reserve, we are proud to advance payment security education and awareness through our three online toolkits, which also include the Synthetic Identity Fraud Mitigation Toolkit. We continue to look for ways we can help the payments industry better identify and fight fraud and scams.”
Mike Timoney, vice president of payments improvement
Federal Reserve Financial Services
Stay Engaged
Join the FedPayments Improvement Community for the latest and watch for more information and learning opportunities from the Fed as we continue to collaborate with the payments industry to address the growing threat of fraud.
These toolkits were developed by the Federal Reserve to help educate the industry about scams and check fraud. Insights for these toolkits were provided through interviews with industry experts, publicly available research and team member expertise. The toolkits are not intended to result in any regulatory or reporting requirements, imply any liabilities for fraud loss, or confer any legal status, legal definitions, or legal rights or responsibilities. While use of these toolkits throughout the industry is encouraged, their utilization is voluntary at the discretion of each individual entity. Absent written consent, the toolkits may not be used in a manner that suggests the Federal Reserve endorses a third-party product or service.