The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alerted consumers that Americans lost $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, with reported losses nearly tripling since 2020.

Imposter scams ranked as the top fraud category last year, making up nearly one in three reports submitted to the FTC. Scammers contact targets through text messages, phone calls, emails, social media, and search results. The most expensive schemes often use fake bank security alerts urging victims to move funds in order to safeguard accounts.

The FTC noted that victims lost nearly $1 billion to business impersonators, with bank impersonators driving the highest amounts, and about $920 million to government impersonators. Social media proved the most profitable channel for these fraudsters, accounting for more than $2.1 billion in losses during 2025, an eightfold rise since 2020.

Nearly one in three Americans who lost money first heard from scammers on social media, with Facebook losses surpassing those from text and email combined, while WhatsApp and Instagram followed in second and third place.

"The FTC will use every tool available to combat one of the most pernicious forms of fraud, government and business impersonation, and to protect the integrity of the digital economy," said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Overall reported fraud losses across all categories reached about $16 billion in 2025, the highest figure on record and roughly 25 percent higher than the previous year.

In March 2024, the FTC warned that scammers were posing as agency staff to steal funds after receiving numerous reports of fraudsters impersonating employees to pressure people via phone, email, or text into sending money.

Since the Impersonation Rule took effect in April 2024, the FTC has pursued a dozen enforcement actions, obtaining more than $70 million in consumer redress and stopping several imposter operations.

Last year, the FTC announced actions under this rule against MediaAlpha for a government imposter scheme, American Tax Service for an IRS imposter scheme, Blackstone Legal for a phantom debt business imposter scheme, Click Profit for a business imposter money-making scam, and Accelerated Debt Settlement for government and business imposter schemes.

The agency also filed a complaint against Innovative Partners in April 2026, claiming the company impersonated the government and insurance carriers to sell fraudulent health plans.

The same month, the FBI stated in its 2025 Internet Crime Report that U.S. victims lost almost $21 billion to cyber-enabled crimes throughout the year.