The FTC says Americans lost $3.5 billion to impersonation scams in 2025, making them the most reported fraud category and one of the costliest threats facing the public. The agency said losses tied to social media exceeded $2.1 billion, while victims lost nearly $1 billion to business impersonators and about $920 million to government impersonators; common lures arrived by text, phone, email, social media, and search results, often posing as banks or government agencies.
Why it matters: This is a large-scale public safety and fraud story: ordinary people are losing billions after being tricked by fake banks, businesses, and government officials. People should treat unsolicited messages and calls as suspect, avoid moving money based on "security alerts," and verify requests through official contact channels.
SecurityWeek News
2026.06.19
88% relevant
The roundup restates the FTC's 2025 impersonation-scam loss figures and adds summary context that bank and government impersonation schemes were major drivers and that the agency is enforcing its Impersonation Rule.
Sergiu Gatlan
2026.06.16
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct 2025 FTC fraud-loss milestone focused specifically on impersonation scams, with concrete dollar losses, delivery channels, and enforcement context rather than updating a previously tracked single scam campaign or FBI alert.
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