FTC data show imposter scams remain top fraud category as 2025 losses hit $3.5 billion

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FTC imposter scams 2025

Highlights

FTC reports imposter scams generated about 1 million fraud reports in 2025, driving $3.5 billion in reported losses with business impersonators causing $1 billion in harm.
Total FTC-reported fraud losses climbed to $15.9 billion in 2025, up 27% from $12.5 billion in 2024 and nearly 430% above 2020 levels.
The FTC highlights a rise in victims aged 60+ suffering losses of $100,000 or more and warns of increasingly sophisticated scams powered by artificial intelligence.

FTC report highlights scale of imposter losses

As reported by the Federal Trade Commission, imposter scams generate roughly 1 million fraud reports in 2025, the fifth straight year in which they rank as the most commonly reported fraud incident.

About 80% of those reports involve no monetary loss, but the remaining 20% still produce billions of dollars in harm. Business impersonators account for about $1 billion in losses, with many victims deceived by criminals posing as bank representatives, while government impersonators contribute about $920 million in losses.

Patty Hsue, chief of staff for the FTC's Division of Marketing Practices, says high-dollar losses among some consumers are particularly concerning. She notes that some victims lose more than $1 million, even as the median reported loss stands at $700.

Older consumers and rising fraud tactics add pressure

Total fraud losses reported to the FTC reach about $15.9 billion in 2025, up 27% from $12.5 billion in 2024 and nearly 430% higher than in 2020. The figures point to a sustained rise in consumer fraud exposure across the U.S.

The FTC's annual report also underscores a growing number of scam victims aged 60 and over who report losses of $100,000 or more. That pattern adds to concerns about financial vulnerability among older consumers and the need for stronger awareness and prevention measures.

Hsue says scammers are adapting their methods and making schemes more sophisticated and harder to detect. Fraud specialists also warn that advances in artificial intelligence are helping criminals create more convincing messages that can mislead even cautious consumers.

In our earlier article on Alphabet (GOOGL) sliding toward the 340 support zone, we explained that the pullback was driven by investor concerns about the scale of AI infrastructure spending and the uncertainty around when those investments will translate into stronger profitability. We also noted that heightened AI competition and talent departures added to the pressure, even as Alphabet’s core businesses continued to show solid operational momentum.

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