BBB Scam Tracker received 146,000 scam reports in 2025, an 80% increase from 81,000 reports in 2024. While consumer susceptibility and reported monetary losses decreased, BBB’s Scam Tracker Risk Report found that scammers continued to adapt their tactics with social media and text messages emerging as increasingly common avenues for fraud.
1. Investment/Cryptocurrency Scams
Investment scams remained the riskiest scam type, with a median reported loss of $5,000, the highest of any scam category. Nearly 80% of consumers targeted by investment scams reported losing money.
2. Employment Scams
Employment scams ranked second riskiest, accounting for 15% of all reports and carrying a median reported loss of $1,000. For adults ages 18–34, employment scams ranked as the #1 riskiest scam.
3. Online Purchase Scams
Online purchase scams moved into the third spot, accounting for nearly 30% of reported scams. About 90% of consumers reporting this type of scam said they lost money.
4. Romance/Friendship Scams
Romance and friendship scams ranked fourth riskiest and had the second-highest median reported loss at $4,500.
Scammers Increasingly Turn to Social Media and Text Messages
Social media was the contact method associated with the highest percentage of reports involving a monetary loss. Facebook was the most commonly reported platform where survey respondents said they encountered scammers (56%), followed by Instagram (18%) and TikTok (11%).
Text-message scams also increased significantly, accounting for 14.9% of published Scam Tracker reports in 2025, up from 9.8% in 2024.
Consumers should be particularly cautious about advertisements, offers and unsolicited messages encountered on social media, where it can be difficult to determine whether an account, seller or opportunity is legitimate.
Additional findings
Employment scams ranked as the #1 riskiest scam for adults ages 18 to 34. Tactics associated with these scams continue to expand as scammers take advantage of people searching for jobs, remote work and flexible employment opportunities.
PayPal was the Most Impersonated Brand
Scammers continued to exploit consumers’ trust in familiar companies and organizations. PayPal was the organization most frequently impersonated in BBB Scam Tracker reports in 2025, followed by Amazon and Target. The IRS was the only government agency among the ten most frequently impersonated organizations, agencies or brands.
Repeat Victims are Being Targeted Again
Repeat victimization remains a growing concern. Among survey respondents, 14.7% reported losing money to scams at least three times, up from 12.4% in 2024. Another 4.6% reported losing money five or more times, compared with 3.8% in 2024.
Scammers may target previous victims again by posing as organizations or individuals offering to recover lost money, repair credit or consolidate debt.
Tips to Avoid Scams
- Slow down. Be wary of unexpected messages and offers that create urgency.
- Verify independently.Research businesses, employers, sellers and investment opportunities using contact information you find yourself.
- Don’t trust familiar names automatically. Scammers frequently impersonate legitimate companies and government agencies.
- Protect your money and information. Never provide financial or personal information until you’ve confirmed who you’re dealing with.
- Report scams.Share your experience with BBB Scam Tracker to warn others.
- BBB Scam Tracker, launched in 2015, allows consumers to report scams and search reports submitted by others, helping BBB identify emerging fraud trends and warn consumers about evolving tactics.
For the complete list of the top 10 riskiest scams, see the 2025 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report.