Eleven major tech and retail firms have formed the Industry Accord Against Online Scams & Fraud to share threat intelligence and try to stop scams that hop between platforms. This article explains who joined, what they promise to do, the limits of a voluntary pact, and practical steps users can take to reduce their risk.
Signatories include Google, Amazon, OpenAI, Adobe, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Match Group, Meta, Microsoft, Target and Levi Strauss & Co. That roster shows the problem touches search, social, messaging, e-commerce and dating services all at once. These companies say the best defense is to act together instead of each fighting the same battles alone.
Scammers rarely stick to a single channel anymore; they start with a social message, shift to private chat, lure victims to fake sites, then pressure for payment. That multi-step flow makes detection harder because each platform only sees part of the scam. The accord aims to stitch those fragments together so threats can be recognized earlier.
Under the plan, companies will share near real-time data on scam accounts, malicious domains and patterns tied to organized fraud. The idea is simple: if one company spots a campaign, others can preemptively block the same actors. This requires fast, automated exchanges of indicators and agreed signals so action can scale.
The participants also plan to expand AI systems that flag suspicious activity and refine how financial checks are performed to verify both sides of a transaction. They want clearer, easier routes for users to report scams and quicker responses when incidents are logged. There is also a push to elevate scam prevention as a national priority in more countries so policy and enforcement begin to match the threat.
All that sounds promising on paper, but the accord is voluntary and includes no penalties for failing to comply. That means progress depends on how seriously each company implements and sustains its commitments. Without binding requirements, cooperation could be uneven and slow to produce measurable results.
Even so, narrowing the gaps between platforms can still make life harder for fraudsters who exploit those gaps today. Shared intelligence can cut down on repeat scams and force bad actors to change tactics more often. Any friction added to scam campaigns makes them less profitable and less appealing to organized groups.
Trend Micro’s VP of Consumer Marketing and Education, Lynette Owens, believes cross-industry coordination is a critical step forward as scams increasingly unfold across multiple platforms. She tells CyberGuy:
“It’s encouraging to see major platforms like Google, Meta and Amazon coming together to share intelligence and disrupt scam networks. Cross-industry collaboration has proven to be helpful in fighting other types of online harms and has been a fruitful counter-measure against scams and fraud in other countries. Anything that moves us more towards prevention is a win, as so much effort is currently directed at what happens after the harm is done.
“But while it’s a useful step forward, it’s not a complete solution. Scammers are constantly evolving, using AI and multi-channel tactics to create more convincing, personalized attacks that are harder for people to recognize in the moment.
“What consumers really need is intervention that alerts them where scams actually happen, with clear, timely signals that something isn’t right. In today’s environment, scams don’t come as a single message. They unfold over time and adapt faster than ever to changing consumer habits or platform best practices. Collaboration is an important piece of the puzzle, but the more tools consumers have at their fingertips to fight back, the better their chances at stopping a scam before any real damage is done.”
Her core point is that coordination matters, but it won’t stop determined criminals by itself. Companies must combine shared signals with user-facing alerts that clearly indicate risky interactions. Otherwise, intelligence stays internal while users remain exposed.
This fight has an AI element on both sides, which raises the stakes. Bad actors use AI to craft realistic messages and to automate scale, while platforms use AI to detect anomalous patterns and remove malicious content. That creates a back-and-forth where improvements on one side drive adaptations on the other.
Everyday users still carry a big share of responsibility when fraudsters get clever. Don’t click unexpected links in texts, emails or messages; type the company address yourself when in doubt. Enable two-factor authentication across important accounts and run reputable antivirus software to catch suspicious apps and phishing attempts before they run damage.
Regularly review bank and card statements so you can spot and report unauthorized activity fast. Consider reducing the amount of personal data visible on people-search and data-broker sites to make targeted attacks harder. Small changes in behavior combined with better inter-company coordination can significantly reduce your exposure.
This industry agreement marks a shift toward treating scams as a cross-platform problem rather than a series of isolated incidents. Whether it actually slows criminal networks will come down to execution, transparency and external oversight. Public pressure and regulatory attention will likely shape how far companies go beyond cooperation to measurable accountability.
