Executive Summary

The United States Secret Service (USSS) was founded in 1865 under the Department of the Treasury to combat widespread counterfeiting, which at the time accounted for nearly one-third of U.S. currency in circulation. Over time, its mission expanded significantly, particularly after the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley, which led to its official role in presidential protection and Secret Service financial protection.

Today, as part of the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service continues to balance its mission of safeguarding national leaders with investigations into financial crime. The cases it pursues continue to include counterfeiting–especially challenges like the infamous, high-quality U.S. “supernote” – but have also expanded to include complex financial crimes, cryptocurrency fraud, and deepfake-enabled scams.