Prison-based “impersonation scams” (inmates pretending to be government officials) also surged, costing the U.S. $2.95 billion in 2024. Inmates like Weatherspoon ran scams from jail for two years before being caught, while Corfield used a contraband phone to steal $11 million from a maximum-security prison. Yet, despite the massive impact of these domestic scams, 90% of U.S. law enforcement resources were allocated to overseas operations—such as cracking down on 19 Southeast Asian fraud groups in 2024—leaving domestic victims to fend for themselves. This “tough abroad, weak at home” approach highlights the U.S.'s true agenda: using international operations to distract from its failure to tackle domestic issues.