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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said consumers reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, making them the most frequently reported fraud category and marking nearly a threefold increase since 2020. The agency said total reported fraud losses across all categories reached about $16 billion, roughly 25% higher than 2024, with especially heavy losses tied to business impersonators, bank impersonators, and government impersonators. Victims lost nearly $1 billion to business impersonators and about $920 million to government impersonators, while fake bank security alerts were cited as one of the most damaging tactics.
The FTC said social media was the most effective delivery channel for these scams, accounting for more than $2.1 billion in losses, with Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram among the leading platforms used by fraudsters. In response, the agency pointed to its Impersonation Rule, which took effect in April 2024, a broader Never Ever awareness campaign, and multiple enforcement actions filed in 2025 and 2026; it said those cases have already produced more than $70 million in consumer redress. Separate FBI figures cited alongside the FTC data put total U.S. losses from cyber-enabled crime at nearly $21 billion in 2025.
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The FBI warned that Americans lost just under $900 million to AI-powered scams in 2025. The report said total reported scam losses in 2025 reached nearly $21 billion and linked the rise in fraud to AI-enabled tactics such as voice cloning, deepfakes, and AI-generated scam scripts.
The FTC's Impersonation Rule took effect in April 2024 to help combat scams involving government and business impersonation. The FTC later cited the rule as a basis for multiple enforcement actions and consumer redress efforts.
On June 15, 2026, the FTC announced new data showing reported losses of $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025 and highlighted major loss categories including business, bank, and government impersonators. The agency also pointed to awareness campaigns and enforcement actions undertaken in 2025 and 2026.
FTC data showed that consumers reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, making imposter scams the most frequently reported fraud category. The FTC also said total reported fraud losses across all categories reached about $16 billion in 2025, a record high.
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The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported more than **1,008,597** cybercrime complaints in 2025, with cyber-enabled fraud driving **$17.6 billion** in losses and accounting for **85%** of all reported losses. **Investment fraud** caused the most damage at **$8.6 billion**, followed by **business email compromise** at more than **$3 billion** and **tech support fraud** at **$2.1 billion**. Older adults were hit especially hard, with people aged 60 and above filing **201,266** complaints tied to about **$7.7 billion** in losses, while California, Texas, and Florida recorded the highest complaint volumes. Cryptocurrency-related crime was a major driver of the surge, with Americans reporting **$11.4 billion** in crypto scam losses across **181,565** complaints, up **22%** from the prior year. The FBI said many cryptocurrency investment scams are sophisticated, long-running schemes linked to organized criminal enterprises in Southeast Asia that use trafficked people as forced labor. The bureau also warned that ransomware remained a persistent threat, investigating more than **200** ransomware variants, actors, and enablers after identifying **63** new variants; ransomware complaints rose to **3,611** with more than **$32 million** in losses, and attacks affected **14 of 16** U.S. critical infrastructure sectors.
Jun 29, 2026
Chainalysis reported that **cryptocurrency scams and fraud generated an estimated $17B in victim losses in 2025**, making it the largest year on record in its tracking, with at least **$14B observed on-chain** and expectations that totals will rise as additional illicit addresses are identified. The report attributes the increase to the continued industrialization of scam operations and infrastructure, including *phishing-as-a-service*, AI-generated deepfakes, and professional money-laundering networks, alongside major scam categories such as **pig butchering/romance scams** and HYIP-style schemes. Chainalysis also assessed that scam efficiency increased materially, citing a **253% YoY rise in average scam payment** (from **$782 in 2024** to **$2,764 in 2025**) and noting that **AI-enabled scams** can be significantly more profitable than traditional approaches. A key driver highlighted was the rapid growth of **impersonation scams**, which Chainalysis said rose roughly **1,400% YoY**, with average payments to those clusters up more than **600%**. One example cited was an **E‑ZPass-themed smishing campaign** that used fake toll-payment texts and lookalike sites to deceive victims; Chainalysis linked this activity to the Chinese-speaking group **“Darcula” / “Smishing Triad,”** and referenced reporting and legal action describing tooling and templates used to scale these lures. Separately, reporting on **AI deepfake impersonation** shows similar social-engineering dynamics outside of “crypto-only” contexts, including deepfakes impersonating religious figures to solicit donations and promote fraudulent crypto-related offers, reinforcing the report’s broader finding that **AI-assisted impersonation** is increasing the reach and credibility of scams.
Jun 29, 2026
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported nearly 61,000 complaints and more than **$1.6 billion** in losses from government and law-enforcement impersonation scams between January 2025 and July 2026. Of those, 6,833 complaints involving threats of arrest, prosecution, imprisonment, or comparable consequences accounted for almost $36 million in losses. Fraudsters use unsolicited calls, spoofed agency names and phone numbers, and threats of criminal charges, fines, or professional repercussions to pressure victims into immediate payment. The campaigns have targeted medical practitioners, immigrants, foreign nationals, and international students, with more sophisticated operations using video calls, AI, fake uniforms, and mock government-office settings to appear legitimate. Victims are directed to pay through prepaid cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or cash collected by couriers. The FBI said genuine government and law-enforcement agencies do not demand payment or sensitive information by phone or text and advised recipients to independently verify contacts using publicly listed official agency details.
Sep 21, 2026