2026 Scam Statistics: The Numbers Every American Should Know

Scam losses aren't just growing — they're accelerating at a pace that outstrips every defense we've built. This page compiles the most current, sourced scam statistics for 2026, drawing from the FTC, FBI, AARP, Global Anti-Scam Alliance, and leading cybersecurity researchers.

Bookmark this page. We update it quarterly.

The Global Picture

$442 billion is lost to scams globally each year, according to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Feedzai's 2025 report surveying 46,000 adults across 42 countries. That's more than the GDP of most developed nations.

57% of adults worldwide were scammed in the past year. Of those, 23% lost money.

$12.5 billion in fraud was reported to the FTC by U.S. consumers in 2024 — a 25% increase over the prior year and a 558% increase from $1.9 billion just five years earlier.

$196 billion is the FTC's estimate of actual U.S. fraud losses after adjusting for underreporting. Only an estimated 2-6.7% of victims ever file a report.

By Demographics

Seniors (60+): Lost $2.4 billion in 2024, up from $600 million in 2020 — a four-fold increase. Losses of $100,000+ jumped eight-fold from $55 million to $445 million. Seniors 55+ lose triple what younger adults lose to phone scams, averaging $1,298 per incident.

Women: 70% of convicted romance fraud offenders primarily targeted female victims. Women are 26% more likely to be targeted by financial fraudsters. Two-thirds of identity theft cases target women.

Young adults (under 30): 51% of complaints from consumers 19 and under reported losing money, compared to 21% for those 80+. But median losses are far lower — $189 for the youngest vs. $1,650 for 80+.

Job seekers: $518.2 million lost in 9 months of 2025. Average task scam loss: $9,456. One in four who engaged with a job scam became a victim. Task scam reports surged 485% in 2025.

By Scam Type

Investment scams: $6.1 billion lost in the first 9 months of 2025 through 113,842 reported cases. Median loss: $10,000. Crypto is the top payment method.

Romance scams: $1.16 billion lost in the first 9 months of 2025, up 22% year-over-year. Median loss: $2,218 — the highest of any imposter scam type.

Imposter scams: $2.95 billion in 2024. Includes government impersonation ($375 million for seniors alone), tech support, and business impersonation.

Job scams: Losses tripled from 2020 to 2023. Task scams accounted for nearly 40% of all job scam reports by mid-2024.

Deepfake-related fraud: $1.1 billion worldwide in 2025, triple the prior year. Deepfake video files grew from 500,000 in 2023 to 8 million in 2025. Projected to reach $40 billion by 2027.

AI and Technology

1 in 4 Americans received a deepfake voice call in the past 12 months.

3 seconds of audio is all that's needed to clone a voice with up to 95% accuracy.

77% of people who engaged with an AI-enabled scam call lost money.

900% annual growth rate in deepfake video files.

321,509 fraudulent romance URLs blocked by McAfee in just seven weeks before Valentine's Day 2025.

73% of Americans have experienced some form of online scam.

Payment Methods

Cryptocurrency is the top payment method for investment scams, with $1.5 billion in crypto losses in the first 9 months of 2025. Bank transfers are the largest overall source of scam funds. Gift cards remain the method of choice for imposter scams targeting seniors. Wire fraud recovery is measured in hours — most victims don't realize what happened in time to act.

The Reporting Gap

Only 2-6.7% of fraud victims report their losses to authorities. 29% cite emotional distress as the worst consequence — outranking financial loss. 74% say falling for a scam feels more embarrassing than making a poor financial choice. 55% of romance scam victims never report the crime, primarily due to shame.

Protect Yourself

Every statistic on this page represents a real person who lost real money. The best defense is checking before you engage.

Scan a suspicious message, link, or image — free and instant →

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Last updated: March 2026. Next update: June 2026.

Sources: FTC Consumer Sentinel Network, FBI IC3, Global Anti-Scam Alliance/Feedzai, AARP, Hiya State of the Call 2026, Norton Research, McAfee, BBB Scam Tracker, CNC Intelligence, Deloitte, DeepStrike, SurfShark, Alloy 2025 State of Scams Report