Scams in numbers

How much people lose to scams, country by country, from the governments, police forces and banking bodies that collect the reports. Each number says what it counts, the period it covers, and where it comes from.

Last checked 17 October 2026. We update a figure when its source publishes a new edition.

Before you compare

Most of these figures count only what people reported, and most scams are never reported. Each country counts in its own way, so the totals can't be compared directly. They're shown in local currency, as the source published them. More on what these numbers mean.

India

These are amounts people reported when they complained on the government's cybercrime portal. They are not verified losses, and many scams are never reported.

  • 24,02,579

    Financial fraud complaints filed on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

    2025

    Complaints of financial cyber fraud on NCRP (cybercrime.gov.in and the 1930 helpline). Complaints, not people. About 2.4 million.

    Source: Ministry of Home Affairs (I4C data), published 11 February 2026.

  • ₹22,495 crore

    Amount reported lost in those complaints

    2025

    The amount people reported in their complaints. Not verified, and not the final loss after money is frozen or returned. In 2024 the figure was ₹22,848 crore.

    Source: Ministry of Home Affairs (I4C data), published 11 February 2026.

  • ₹11,158 crore

    Saved by reporting quickly through 1930 and the financial fraud system

    2021 to 30 June 2026

    Money stopped before it reached fraudsters, across more than 32.80 lakh complaints, since the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) began in 2021. A running total, not one year.

    Source: Ministry of Home Affairs (I4C data), published 21 July 2026.

  • ₹55,050 crore

    Amount reported lost in financial fraud complaints over five years

    2021 to 2025

    Total amount reported on NCRP across more than 65,89,201 financial fraud complaints from 2021 to 2025. The government's figure is "more than" this amount.

    Source: Ministry of Home Affairs (I4C data), published 21 July 2026.

Top scam types

The government's published replies give totals but not a breakdown by type of scam, so we don't show one.

Sources, checked 17 October 2026: Ministry of Home Affairs, reply to Rajya Sabha unstarred question 1341 (I4C data from NCRP and CFCFRMS) (Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, 11 February 2026); Ministry of Home Affairs, National Cyber Crime Data (reply to Lok Sabha unstarred question 251) (Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (via Press Information Bureau), 21 July 2026).

United States

Reported losses only; most scams are never reported. The FBI shares its complaints with the FTC's database, so the two totals overlap. Don't add them together.

  • $15.9 billion

    Lost to fraud, as reported to the FTC

    2025

    Losses consumers reported in fraud reports to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network. Up from over $12 billion in 2024.

    Source: Federal Trade Commission, published 25 March 2026.

  • 3 million

    Fraud reports to the FTC

    2025

    Fraud reports submitted by consumers to the Consumer Sentinel Network. Reports, not people, and not all of them involved a loss.

    Source: Federal Trade Commission, published 25 March 2026.

  • $20.9 billion

    Lost to internet crime, as reported to the FBI

    2025

    Losses in complaints to the FBI's IC3 ($20.877 billion). Covers all internet crime, including data breaches and ransomware as well as scams, and about $1.6 billion from complainants outside the US.

    Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report, published April 2026.

  • 1,008,597

    Complaints to the FBI's IC3

    2025

    Complaints filed with IC3, with or without a loss.

    Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report, published April 2026.

  • $7.7 billion

    Lost by people aged 60 and over, as reported to the FBI

    2025

    Losses in 201,266 IC3 complaints filed by people aged 60 or over. Their average loss was $38,500.

    Source: FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report, published April 2026.

Counting fraud that nobody reported, the FTC estimates that the overall cost of fraud to consumers in 2024 could have been as high as $195.9 billion. (Federal Trade Commission)

Top scam types

FTC reports · Federal Trade Commission

  1. Imposter scams: the most reported: over 1 million reports, over $3.5 billion lost
  2. Investment scams: the most money lost: over $7.9 billion, about half of all reported losses

FBI complaints, by money lost · FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report

  1. Investment: $8.65 billion
  2. Business email compromise: $3.05 billion
  3. Tech and customer support: $2.13 billion
  4. Personal data breach: $1.31 billion
  5. Romance and confidence: $929 million

Sources, checked 17 October 2026: Prepared statement of the Federal Trade Commission on The Rising Scam Economy (Consumer Sentinel Network data for 2025) (Federal Trade Commission, 25 March 2026). The FTC had not posted a 2025 Consumer Sentinel Data Book on its reports page when we checked, so the 2025 figures come from the FTC's testimony to Congress.; FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Internet Crime Report (Federal Bureau of Investigation, April 2026).

United Kingdom

Two different measures. UK Finance counts losses that banks and card companies recorded across the UK. The ONS survey estimates fraud in England and Wales, including fraud that was never reported to anyone.

  • £1.28 billion

    Stolen through payment fraud

    2025

    Gross losses (£1,279.8 million) to unauthorised fraud and authorised push payment scams recorded by UK Finance members. Up 4% on 2024.

    Source: UK Finance, published June 2026.

  • 4.06 million

    Confirmed fraud cases where money was lost

    2025

    Confirmed cases (4,062,198) recorded by UK Finance members where a loss occurred. A record high.

    Source: UK Finance, published June 2026.

  • £576.4 million

    Lost to scams where people were tricked into sending money

    2025

    Authorised push payment (APP) fraud losses across 248,070 cases. Up 19% on 2024.

    Source: UK Finance, published June 2026.

  • £1.68 billion

    Unauthorised fraud stopped by banks

    2025

    Attempted unauthorised fraud prevented by the industry. 70p of every £1 attempted was stopped.

    Source: UK Finance, published June 2026.

  • 4.5 million

    Estimated fraud incidents in England and Wales

    Year to March 2026

    A survey estimate from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, including fraud not reported to banks or police. Not a count of reports.

    Source: ONS, Crime Survey for England and Wales, published 23 July 2026.

  • 3.8 million

    Estimated fraud victims in England and Wales

    Year to March 2026

    Survey estimate of people who were victims of fraud at least once in the year. 10% more than the year before (3.4 million).

    Source: ONS, Crime Survey for England and Wales, published 23 July 2026.

Top scam types

Scams where people were tricked into paying, by money lost · UK Finance

  1. Investment scams: £221.5 million
  2. Purchase scams: £118.1 million
  3. Advance fee scams: £58.4 million
  4. Bank or police impersonation: £55.5 million
  5. Invoice and mandate scams: £41.3 million
  6. Romance scams: £39.2 million

Sources, checked 17 October 2026: UK Finance, Annual Fraud Report 2026 (UK Finance, June 2026); Office for National Statistics, Crime in England and Wales: year ending March 2026 (Crime Survey for England and Wales) (Office for National Statistics, 23 July 2026).

Australia

Losses reported to Scamwatch, ReportCyber, IDCARE, the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange and ASIC, combined. Most scams are never reported.

  • A$2.18 billion

    Lost to scams, as reported

    2025

    Combined losses reported to five agencies and organisations. Up 7.8% on 2024 (A$2.0 billion).

    Source: National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC), published March 2026.

  • 481,523

    Scam reports

    2025

    Scam reports in the combined data. Down 2.3% on 2024.

    Source: National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC), published March 2026.

  • 60%

    Share of losses from the five costliest scam types

    2025

    Investment, payment redirection, romance, phishing and remote access scams together, as a share of all reported losses.

    Source: National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC), published March 2026.

Top scam types

By money lost · National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC)

  1. Investment scams: A$837.7 million
  2. Payment redirection: A$166.8 million
  3. Romance scams: A$139.9 million
  4. Phishing: A$97.6 million
  5. Remote access scams: A$69.9 million

Source, checked 17 October 2026: National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC), Targeting scams report 2025 (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, March 2026).

Singapore

Scam cases reported to the Singapore Police Force in the first six months of 2026 only, not a full year.

  • S$410.6 million

    Lost to scams, as reported to police

    January to June 2026

    Amount lost in reported scam cases. Down 17.9% from S$500.2 million in the same months of 2025.

    Source: Singapore Police Force, published August 2026.

  • 16,821

    Scam cases reported

    January to June 2026

    Scam cases reported to police. Down 14.4% from 19,644.

    Source: Singapore Police Force, published August 2026.

  • S$1,350

    Median loss per case

    January to June 2026

    Half of cases lost less than this, half lost more. About 69.5% of cases involved losses under S$5,000.

    Source: Singapore Police Force, published August 2026.

  • S$97.7 million

    Scam money frozen by the police Anti-Scam Centre

    January to June 2026

    What the police call "recovered": scammed money frozen in the bank accounts and crypto wallets of scammers or money mules ("more than" S$97.7 million). It is not the amount returned to victims.

    Source: Singapore Police Force, published August 2026.

  • 89.0%

    Scams that started online

    January to June 2026

    Share of scam cases where the first contact was on an online platform. Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram alone accounted for 34.1% of cases.

    Source: Singapore Police Force, published August 2026.

Top scam types

By money lost · Singapore Police Force

  1. Investment scams: S$169.8 million
  2. Government officials impersonation: S$90.8 million
  3. Business email compromise: S$57.3 million
  4. Job scams: in the top five
  5. Phishing: in the top five

By number of cases · Singapore Police Force

  1. E-commerce scams: 3,865 cases, the most of any type
  2. Phishing: in the top five
  3. Investment scams: 2,256 cases
  4. Job scams: in the top five
  5. Government officials impersonation: in the top five

Source, checked 17 October 2026: Singapore Police Force, Mid-Year Scam and Cybercrime Brief 2026 (Singapore Police Force, August 2026).

Canada

Reported losses only. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre estimates that only 5% to 10% of fraud is reported.

  • C$704 million

    Lost to fraud, as reported

    2025

    Losses in fraud reports to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The CAFC says "over" $704 million.

    Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, published February 2026.

  • 112,000

    Fraud reports

    2025

    Fraud reports received by the CAFC ("over 112,000"). Reports, not victims.

    Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, published February 2026.

  • C$351 million

    Lost to investment fraud

    2025

    The costliest fraud type: 4,409 reports from 3,867 victims. About half of all reported losses.

    Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, published February 2026.

  • 5% to 10%

    Share of fraud that gets reported

    CAFC estimate, 2026

    The CAFC's own estimate of how much fraud is reported to it. So the real losses are likely many times higher.

    Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, published August 2026.

Top scam types

By money lost · Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

  1. Investment fraud: C$351 million
  2. Spear phishing: C$67.9 million
  3. Romance and relationship fraud: C$63.3 million
  4. Job fraud: C$50.6 million
  5. Fake fraud investigators (bank or police): C$28.3 million

By number of reports · Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

  1. Identity fraud: 8,403 reports
  2. Investment fraud: 4,409 reports
  3. Service fraud: 3,393 reports

Sources, checked 17 October 2026: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Fraud Prevention Month 2026: Top 10 frauds in 2025 (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, February 2026); Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Fraud Trends: First 6 Months of 2026 (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, August 2026).

European Union and EEA

Payment fraud reported by banks and payment firms across the 30 countries of the European Economic Area. It includes card fraud and account takeovers, not only scams, and it is a year older than the other figures here.

Top scam types

The report breaks fraud down by payment method, not by type of scam.

Source, checked 17 October 2026: European Banking Authority and European Central Bank, 2025 report on payment fraud (European Central Bank and European Banking Authority, 15 December 2025).

What these numbers mean

  • Reported is not the same as lost. Most figures here are what people told the police, a government agency or their bank. Many victims never report, out of shame or because they don't know where to. Canada's Anti-Fraud Centre estimates only 5% to 10% of fraud reaches it. The real totals are higher everywhere.
  • Reports, complaints, cases and victims are different things. One person can file several reports, and some reports involve no loss. We keep each figure's own word for what it counts.
  • Estimates are labelled. The UK's crime survey and the FTC's $195.9 billion figure are estimates that include fraud nobody reported. Everything else is a count of reports.
  • Don't add or rank countries. Each source counts different things over different periods, in its own currency. The US figures from the FTC and the FBI overlap.
  • No live counter. Some sites show losses ticking up every second. Nobody measures scams that way, so those counters are guesses. We show only published figures, with the date each one covers.

Figures we left out

  • Reserve Bank of India, Annual Report 2025-26, bank fraud tables: The RBI counts frauds of ₹1 lakh and above reported by banks. In 2025-26, 85.5% of those cases were loan frauds, and many had happened years earlier. It is not a measure of scams against people, so we don't show it next to the cybercrime portal figures.

Don't become one of these numbers

Investment, impersonation and shopping scams top the lists above. Most start with a link or a message. ScamX is free to use.

How we made this page

On 17 October 2026 we opened each source's own release and copied each figure with its definition and period. We used the latest edition published by then. We didn't convert currencies or combine numbers from different sources, and we didn't use figures that only appeared in news reports.

If anything here differs from the official source, the source is right. ScamX is not affiliated with any of these organisations. Journalists are welcome to use this page; please cite the original source linked under each figure. Spot something out of date? Tell us.