America This Week Wave 259

Organized Crime Goes Digital, Gen Z Wants Back In The Office, I Can’t Retire Where I Live, & Winning Super Bowl Ads

The latest trends in society and culture from The Harris Poll

We’re one day out from Valentine’s Day, yet most Americans (60%) think there is pressure to have a date or spend money. So, for those a little more cynical, the Anchorage Bird Rescue Center will name a rat after your ex and feed it to a raptor.

We have four new stories this week:

1. Along with Alloy and CNBC, we document the digital transformation of organized crime. 
2. A new Freeman/Harris Poll finds surprisingly that Gen Z wants to go back to the office. 
3. Our poll with Nationwide reveals that most of us can’t afford to retire where we live. 
4. And we tally the best Super Bowl commercials, according to Americans.

Organized Crime’s Digital Transformation: Alloy-Harris Poll

In our Alloy State of Fraud Report, we surveyed nearly 500 fraud and risk leaders at banks, credit unions, and fintechs across the US to understand trends in the fraud landscape and learn how different types of organizations are responding to these threats.

Shockingly, organized crime has gone agile, with business models, tech stacks, and operational efficiency that would make a start-up jealous. Harris Poll’s Libby Rodney and Abbey Lunney write that these enterprises have turned ordinary scams into structured, scalable business operations.

• Seven in ten (71%) fraud professionals told us that in 2024, most fraud attacks were committed by organized criminal enterprises rather than individual bad actors.
• And (60%) of financial institutions saw fraud rise across consumer and business accounts in 2024, with (31%) losing over $1 million to direct fraud.
• Consider pandemic-era PPP loans: What was initially estimated as a $100 billion fraud problem ballooned to $255 billion in losses (U.S. House Select Subcommittee report).
• Now (90%) of financial institutions are investing equally in physical and digital security, and (62%) are ramping up their fraud prevention investments under regulatory pressure.

Takeaway: “In the last four years, we saw a massive uptick in organized financial crime,” explains Alloy CEO Tommy Nicholas. “At first glance, it can look like a regular person woke up one day and decided to commit a crime. Understanding that most fraud comes from organized crime rings has caused a big shift in how the financial services industry fights bad actors.”

Isolated By Tech, Gen Z Workers Want More Office Time: Freeman-Harris Poll

Managers often describe having difficulty coercing Gen Z workers back into the office. However, our new survey with Freeman in CNBC challenges that notion as younger professionals seek more IRL work.

• Nearly all (91%) of Gen Z workers want a balance between virtual and in-person opportunities to connect with co-workers, and (86%) agree that attending in-person events is critical to career development.
• Yet today, only about two in five Gen Zers expressed high confidence in networking with people in their industry or building strong business relationships.
• Interestingly, over two-thirds of Gen Z say tech has made them feel less connected and more isolated in their careers, with nearly (80%) saying companies focus more on tech to “connect to” people rather than fostering “in-person connections.”

Takeaway: “The data shows Gen Z isn’t driving a purely digital revolution – they’re advocating for a more thoughtful integration of digital and face-to-face interactions,” Janet Dell, Freeman CEO, said. “They’re not looking to hide behind screens; they’re actively seeking opportunities to build interpersonal skills and meaningful professional relationships. This generation has a sophisticated understanding of when technology helps and when it hinders real connection.”

Why Can’t I Retire Where I Live? Nationwide-Harris Poll

Ready to retire? Survey says…pack it up: A new Harris Poll with Nationwide finds many American investors say they can’t afford to retire where they currently reside.

• A third (32%) of investors don’t believe it makes financial sense to retire where they currently live, especially those in the Northeast (41%) and West (37%).
• And nearly a fifth (16%) will be forced to relocate to a more affordable region due to the high cost of living in their area.
• And is retirement even possible? Two in five (41%) investors expect to retire at 66 or later.

Takeaway: “While it’s clear that investors across America are facing many of the same challenges, their attitudes and actions may look a little different, depending on where they live,” said Eric Stevenson, president of Nationwide Retirement Solutions. “Between inflation and a lack of savings, many pre-retirees likely feel they don’t have enough to make a traditional retirement work.”

Which Ads Won The Super Bowl?: QuestBrand By The Harris Poll

Is thirty seconds of airtime worth eight million dollars? Our annual Brand Bowl index, using our QuestBrand tracking, seeks to measure brand RO in the big game.

• It’s all about the ads: Over three-fourths of Americans (79%) agree that watching ads is essential to the Super Bowl experience.
• The most memorable ads: Americans remembered the commercials by Budweiser, Tubi, Liquid Death, Sketchers, and Stella Artois most after the Big Game.
• While Ram, OpenAI, and Nerds topped the list for increasing brand momentum, Rocket, Ram, Apple Music, Liquid Death, and Hims & Hers were the brands Americans were considering most for purchasing.

Takeaway: The ads aren’t the only winner this year. Our QuestBrand data has found that the NFL isn’t just America’s most popular sports organization; “it’s leaving its peers behind, outpacing every other league in brand equity and redefining the emotional bond with its audience,” writes Harris managing director Justin Pincus. “This isn’t just about maintaining a following – it’s about Momentum. The NFL has grown, with 10 million more fans believing it’s rising since 2021.”