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Scams in the US: what to watch for right now

A plain summary of the scams official agencies in the US warn about most, with the latest published figures and the fastest way to get help.

By the TapSafely editorial teamUpdated

The numbers

People reported losing about $16 billion to fraud to the FTC in 2025, the highest on record and about 25% more than in 2024.

Federal Trade Commission

The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center received 1,008,597 complaints in 2025, with reported losses of $20.877 billion.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

The FTC received more than 1 million reports about imposter scams in 2025, with $3.5 billion in reported losses.

Federal Trade Commission

Scams to watch for in the US

Common in the US

Investment scams

People told the FTC they lost more money to investment scams than to any other type in 2025, a total of $7.9 billion.

How to spot it
Common in the US

Bank and business impersonation

The FTC says business impersonators took nearly $1 billion in 2025, and fake bank callers caused the highest losses in that group.

How to spot it
Common in the US

Tech support scams

The FBI IC3 recorded about $2.13 billion in tech and customer support scam losses in 2025, the third highest crime type by losses.

How to spot it
Common in the US

Fake unpaid toll texts

The FTC says government impersonation reports rose 40% in 2025, with fake toll texts copying programs like E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak and TxTag.

How to spot it
Common in the US

Romance scams

The FBI IC3 recorded about $929 million in confidence and romance scam losses in 2025, and the FTC says nearly 60% of romance scam victims were first contacted on social media.

How to spot it
Common in the US

Fake online shops and social media ads

The FTC says shopping scams were the most reported type of social media scam in 2025.

How to spot it

Who scammers pretend to be

BanksFederal Trade Commission (FTC)Social Security AdministrationIRSAmazonToll agencies such as E-ZPass and SunPass

Never trust a call, text or email just because it uses one of these names. Contact the organisation using details you find yourself.

If you've been scammed in the US

  1. If you paid by bank transfer, Zelle, debit card or credit card, contact your bank or card issuer right away and ask them to reverse the payment.
  2. If you paid with a gift card, crypto or a wire transfer, contact the gift card issuer, crypto exchange or wire transfer company immediately and ask for a refund.
  3. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and report internet crime to the FBI at ic3.gov.
  4. If a scammer has your Social Security number or other personal details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.

Where to report a scam in the US

Reviewed 2026-09-16. Services change, so check the official site if a link doesn't work.

Scam Weather for the US

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Questions

What are the most common scams in the US?

According to official sources: Investment scams, Bank and business impersonation, Tech support scams, Fake unpaid toll texts, Romance scams, Fake online shops and social media ads.

What should I do first if I've been scammed in the US?

If you paid by bank transfer, Zelle, debit card or credit card, contact your bank or card issuer right away and ask them to reverse the payment. If you paid with a gift card, crypto or a wire transfer, contact the gift card issuer, crypto exchange or wire transfer company immediately and ask for a refund.

Who do scammers pretend to be in the US?

Official warnings mention Banks, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Social Security Administration, IRS, Amazon, Toll agencies such as E-ZPass and SunPass.

Official sources and further reading

Figures and warnings on this page come from these official sources.