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Data and Research June 3, 2025
The Scope of Financial Fraud in the US
Data from the Federal Trade Commission quantifies the amount of financial fraud reported in the country, what kind of scams are prevalent and where it is occurring.
Reported by PLANSPONSOR Staff
Art by Shout
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Fraud Facts At A Glance # of Fraud Reports: 217,814 % Reporting $ Loss: 22% Total Loss Reported: $781.9M Median Loss Reported: $600 Top Payment Method: Payment App or Service Top Contact Method: Phone call |
Top 15 States (ranked by reports per million population)
Fraud Facts – Imposter Scams 2025 YTD
| State Name | # of Reports | Reports per Million Population | |
| 1 | Washington | 5,564 | 718.8 |
| 2 | Colorado | 3,657 | 629.3 |
| 3 | Nevada | 1,972 | 627.8 |
| 4 | Arizona | 4,512 | 620.8 |
| 5 | Oregon | 2,628 | 620 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 860 | 619.7 |
| 7 | Alaska | 450 | 613.1 |
| 8 | Virginia | 5,162 | 596.2 |
| 9 | Maryland | 3,616 | 586 |
| 10 | Florida | 12,698 | 579.1 |
| 11 | Montana | 637 | 576.4 |
| 12 | Delaware | 556 | 552.8 |
| 13 | Hawaii | 799 | 552.7 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 3,135 | 548.7 |
| 15 | New Mexico | 1,132 | 535.3 |
Source: Federal Trade Commission
Top 10 Fraud Categories
| Category | # of Reports | % of Reporting $ Loss | Total $ Loss | Median $ Loss | |
| 1 | Imposter Scams | 217,814 | 22% | $781.9M | $600 |
| 2 | Online Shopping and Negative Reviews | 93,460 | 79% | $113.0M | $115 |
| 3 | Internet Services | 81,268 | 8% | $35.9M | $292 |
| 4 | Business and Job Opportunities | 31,896 | 34% | $202.6M | $2,148 |
| 5 | Investment Related | 29,723 | 79% | $1,533.6M | $10,000 |
| 6 | Telephone and Mobile Services | 19,249 | 36% | $12.7M | $240 |
| 7 | Health Care | 16,990 | 50% | $18.1M | $300 |
| 8 | Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries | 15,683 | 28% | $85.7M | $870 |
| 9 | Travel, Vacations and Timeshare Plans | 12,102 | 64% | $66.9M | $1,024 |
| 10 | Advance Payment for Credit Services | 11,729 | 34% | $27.7M | $850 |
Identity Theft Types
| Theft Type | # of Reports | |
| 1 | Credit Card | 151,608 |
| 2 | Other Identity Theft | 121,214 |
| 3 | Loan or Lease | 56,724 |
| 4 | Bank Account | 31,080 |
| 5 | Employment or Tax-Related | 30,192 |
| 6 | Phone or Utilities | 23,191 |
| 7 | Government Documents or Benefits | 18,368 |
Identity Theft Types – Top 10 Other Categories
| Category | # of Reports | |
| 1 | Debt Collection | 112,583 |
| 2 | Banks and Lenders | 74,401 |
| 3 | Auto Related | 39,561 |
| 4 | Credit Cards | 36,045 |
| 5 | Credit Bureaus and Informations Furnishers | 28,122 |
| 6 | Home Improvement, Repair, and Solar | 14,379 |
| 7 | Privacy, Data Security, and Cyber Threats | 6,949 |
| 8 | Television and Electronic Media | 5,008 |
| 9 | Computer Equipment and Software | 4,759 |
| 10 | Education | 1,778 |
Source: Federal Trade Commission
