The FTC reported that consumers lost $15.9 billion to scams in 2025, driven by a surge in fraud reports. The agency said impersonation and payment redirection—sometimes involving cryptocurrency—remain major causes of losses.

The FTC said Americans lost a record $15.9 billion to scams in 2025 as fraud reporting continued to accelerate. In its update, the agency pointed to growing volumes of scam complaints and emphasized that impersonation schemes are among the most common drivers of consumer harm. The report also described how criminals often use payment redirection tactics to steer victims to attacker-controlled destinations rather than legitimate merchants or institutions. The FTC highlighted that, in some cases, fraudsters encourage victims to pay using cryptocurrency, which can complicate recovery once money is transferred. Authorities noted that scammers frequently use urgency, fake authority, and convincing scripts to extract payments and personal information. The FTC’s figures reflect a combination of consumer reports and investigative patterns tied to fraud campaigns across multiple channels, including online messages and phone-based impersonation. Overall, the record total underscores the scale of losses and the ongoing evolution of scam techniques, including the use of digital assets to monetize fraud quickly and reduce traceability. Consumer advocates typically recommend verifying identities through official channels and refusing requests for payment through unusual payment methods.