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For the fifth 12 months in a row, imposter scams ranked because the most reported kind of fraud in 2025, in line with the Federal Commerce Fee’s newest information.
Whereas 80% of the roughly 1 million who filed an imposter rip-off report did not lose cash, the opposite 20% misplaced a collective $3.5 billion, the FTC’s information reveals.
“There are some shoppers who’re dropping very high-dollar quantities,” mentioned Patty Hsue, chief of employees for the FTC’s Division of Advertising and marketing Practices.
“The median loss [of $700] is on the decrease aspect however there’s a very small proportion of shoppers who’re dropping excessive six figures and up,” Hsue mentioned. “There are undoubtedly some shoppers who’ve misplaced over $1 million.”
Losses pushed by scams costing $100,000 or extra
Complete fraud losses reported to the FTC in 2025 reached about $15.9 billion — the very best on report and a rise of roughly 27% from $12.5 billion in 2024. Since 2020, reported losses have elevated practically 430%, in line with the FTC.
The pattern is essentially pushed by a pointy enhance within the variety of shoppers saying they have been scammed out of not less than $100,000, which happens extra typically amongst victims age 60 or older, in line with the FTC.
Scams involving losses of $100,000 or extra amongst that age group accounted for $1.6 billion, or 68%, of their whole $2.4 billion in losses reported in 2024, in line with the FTC’s 2025 annual report back to Congress, launched in December.
“Whereas we get tons and tons of imposter experiences from folks of all ages … older adults do are likely to report extra money losses than youthful adults,” Hsue mentioned.
Usually, males and ladies are equally victimized by scammers, mentioned Amy Nofziger, senior director of sufferer assist for the AARP Fraud Watch Community, a free useful resource for shoppers to study scams and report them.
Nonetheless, “more often than not we hear from ladies extra as a result of they’re extra more likely to report their victimization,” she mentioned.
Moreover, in lots of instances, a female relative is the one who experiences the fraud on behalf of the male, Nofziger mentioned.
In the meantime, synthetic intelligence may make it tougher to identify scams.
“We used to say to search for spelling errors or poor grammar,” Nofziger mentioned. “Now, that is gone out the window. With the instruments obtainable to criminals, they’ll make any textual content or e mail sound 100% right.”
Financial institution impersonators lead losses from imposter scams
Within the imposter rip-off class, enterprise impersonators acquired away with $1 billion in 2025, with the very best reported losses attributed to criminals pretending to work for a financial institution, in line with the FTC. One other $920 million stemmed from authorities impersonators. These numbers are up from $866 million and $789 million, respectively, in 2024.
“We have seen a change in how imposter scams function lately,” Hsue mentioned. “Actually it is turning into way more subtle than it has been up to now.”
One of many newer imposter scams is a hybrid of types, Hsue mentioned.
The actual danger with this … is that buyers actually assume they’re shifting their cash to guard it.
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Chief of employees for the FTC’s Division of Advertising and marketing Practices
“It begins off as a enterprise imposter rip-off, normally one thing alongside the strains of ‘your account has been compromised,'” Hsue mentioned, explaining that it might seem like a textual content, e mail or name out of your financial institution, Amazon or one other well-known model.
When the sufferer responds, the legal says they’re transferring the individual to a authorities company just like the FTC or FBI. “A pretend authorities agent tells you that it’s worthwhile to transfer your cash as a way to shield your account,” Hsue mentioned.
“The actual danger with this … is that buyers actually assume they’re shifting their cash to guard it,” she mentioned.
As a result of the sufferer thinks they’re defending their total account, “they actually transfer all of their funds. You are speaking about financial institution accounts, Roth IRAs, 401(ok)s,” Hsue mentioned.
Pink flags to be careful for
Most individuals — 62% — say they’ve encountered monetary fraud within the final three years or know somebody who has, in line with a new report from the CFP Board of Requirements, which units and enforces requirements for licensed monetary planners.
There are pink flags which can be commonalities amongst scams, Nofziger mentioned. “Most scams have the identical DNA,” she mentioned. “They arrive out of the blue with urgency.”
Moreover, if the sufferer is being requested to lie or maintain the scenario a secret, that must be cause to pause. “No legit alternative will ask you to lie or maintain it a secret,” Nofziger mentioned.
Fraudsters additionally attempt to make victims react with emotion. “They will get you with worry or get you with pleasure … ‘That is the FBI and you are going to be in bother should you do not pay me,’ or ‘Candy child, I’ve $1 million for you so ship me pay as you go reward playing cards to win your prize.'”
“The largest pink flag of all is that they are asking you to ship cash or your private data,” Nofziger mentioned.
The largest pink flag of all is that they are asking you to ship cash or your private data.
Amy Nofziger
Senior director of sufferer assist for the AARP Fraud Watch Community
Additionally remember that “caller IDs and emails and all these types of communication can spoof the place it is coming from, so you may’t at all times belief that it is essentially the entity that you just’re talking with,” Hsue mentioned. As a substitute of responding to the communication, attain out independently, she mentioned.
In case you understand you’ve got been victimized, it is essential to report it rapidly, Hsue mentioned.
“In some circumstances, both the corporate or legislation enforcement can attempt to get your a reimbursement,” she mentioned. In different instances, it may be troublesome to get well cash after 24 or 48 hours, she mentioned.
In case you encounter an imposter rip-off — or any kind of monetary fraud — you may report it to the FTC through its web site.
“Acknowledge that scams are concentrating on all of us,” Nofziger mentioned. “It has nothing to do along with your training or your intelligence stage. It actually has to do along with your feelings on the time the rip-off is concentrating on you.”
