SMALL BUSINESS AND FRAUD
Fraud, Scams, and Ransomware:
Small Businesses React
The $131 Billion "Hidden Tax" on Entrepreneurship
Reimagine Main Street surveyed 506 small business owners on how fraud, scams, and ransomware are impacting their day to day operations. We found that small businesses face significant financial impact from these threats: Fraud, scams, and ransomware cost small businesses an estimated average of
$131 billion last year.
SURVEY INSIGHTS
“When nearly three in four small businesses experience fraud or ransomware in a single year, this is no longer an isolated risk. It has become a routine cost of doing business. At that scale, fraud functions like a hidden tax on entrepreneurship. That’s money that should be going toward hiring, innovation, and growth, not to criminals.”
—
Tammy Halevy,
Executive Director,
Reimagine Main Street
“This survey makes one thing clear: small businesses are doing their part, but as AI and other disruptive technologies emerge they cannot fight this battle alone. Reducing this hidden tax on entrepreneurship will require stronger coordination between the private sector and policymakers. When small businesses are protected, they can focus on what they do best — creating jobs, serving customers, and driving growth.”
— Rhett Buttle,
President, Public Private Strategies Institute
