cybersecurity|cyberthreats

Half of Americans say scams hit daily: 1 in 20 lost over $5K last year

This study examines the evolving scam landscape in the United States. Scams have become a daily reality for the majority of Americans: over half (51%) of the sample receives a suspected scam attempt every day. While approximately 1 in 3 victims (33%) lost a relatively small amount of $100 or less, 1 in 20 (5%) suffered devastating losses exceeding $5,000. The US is currently the global leader in AI-driven scam vulnerability.

The survey, conducted in June 2026, consists of 2,832 respondents across the US, France, and Spain (US n = 1,010).

1 in 20 American scam victims loses $5,000 and more

More than half (51%) of the US sample receives a suspected scam attempt every day. Over 8 in 10 Americans receive a suspected scam at least weekly.

Social status plays a role in frequency; lower-income respondents and those currently not working are hit daily at a rate of 56%, much higher than students (35%), for example. However, around half (51%) of high-income respondents also reported receiving daily scam attempts, and the same was true for nearly half (49%) of medium-income respondents, suggesting scammers are targeting across the board.

Scams in the US have evolved from a simple nuisance into a massive financial drain. Based on our survey, 17 in every 100 Americans surveyed (17%) were victims, meaning they personally lost money to a scam in the past 12 months.

If scaled to the total US adult population, this suggests that an estimated 46 million people could have fallen victim to online scams and phone scams in the last year alone. While approximately 1 in 3 victims (33%) lost a relatively small amount of $100 or less, 1 in 20 (5%) suffered devastating losses exceeding $5,000. Nationally, this would equate to roughly 2.3 million Americans losing over $5,000 each in a single year, a trend that is most visible among high-income earners and those with advanced degrees.

The payment methods utilized reflect the American culture of forced urgency. While credit or debit cards (41%), peer-to-peer apps (35%), and direct bank transfers and wires (30%) were popular payment methods, 29% of Americans used gift cards and 22% used cryptocurrency. These methods were used in the US more than any other country, and they are nearly impossible to reverse once the transaction is complete.

IRS and Medicare lures

In the US, scammers lean heavily into regulatory authority lures, such as the IRS (the US government agency that collects federal taxes and enforces tax laws), Medicare (a federal health insurance program in the US), or messages about unpaid road tolls (e.g., EZ-Pass, SunPass). When asked if they had encountered a scam attempt regarding these particular lures in the last 12 months, over half (52%) of respondents said they encountered package delivery scams (impersonating UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.), 42% received scam contacts about unpaid tolls, and 32% received Medicare or IRS scams.

When asked specifically to name the businesses or institutions scammers impersonated, Amazon was mentioned 55 times by US respondents — the second-most-cited entity after generic “bank references.”

Overall, over half (51%) of US respondents encountered telemarketing scams, including ones from unsolicited sales agents in the last 12 months, 31% received fake health insurance/healthcare scams, and 29% reported fake customer/tech support and international calls from unknown numbers, making these the top three most prevalent scam types in the United States.

AI fools 1 in 3 US scam victims

The US is currently the global leader in AI-driven scam vulnerability. Around one in three US victims (35%) cited highly professional AI-generated photos or voices as the reason a scam felt legitimate. This is a distinctly American phenomenon when compared to European peers like France (14%) or Spain (19%).

Belief in AI-generated content doesn't just increase or decrease with age. Surprisingly, working-age adults (35-44 at 45%) and older seniors (65-74 at 43%) are the most likely to be fooled, while those in between (45-64) are the most skeptical (19-22%).

Beyond AI, scammers are leveraging logistics and personal data to build trust. Notably, 33% of victims were expecting a package or call from the impersonated entity at the time, and 31% were convinced because the scammer used their actual name or purchase history.

The US trend: "scam victim targeting"

An important pattern the US survey revealed is that once a person becomes a victim, the scam targeting intensifies: 66% of victims receive daily attempts, suggesting that "victim lists" are frequently shared or sold among scammers.

The US "victim targeting" pattern shows that while 32% of non-victims (those who haven’t yet been affected by scams) receive scam texts daily, that figure surges to 52% for those who have already lost money, suggesting that once a user is identified as vulnerable, scammers may flood their SMS inbox. The same pattern is observed when it comes to scam calls (with 48% of victims receiving these daily versus only 32% of non-victims), messaging apps (36% of victims versus 12% of non-victims), and even social media (44% of victims versus 16% of non-victims).

Despite the high victimization rates, Americans are largely reactive in their security habits. In fact, 72% of victims use protection tools compared to just 54% of non-victims. This "protection paradox" suggests that most Americans only arm themselves with cybersecurity tools after they have already suffered a financial loss, rather than as a proactive measure.

The states hit hardest by scams

However, daily scam attacks are not evenly distributed. Geographically, the South Atlantic states (Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia) stand out as the most targeted region, with 60% of its residents encountering scams daily. Residents of the Middle Atlantic states (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) encountered scams daily the least (42%).

How the countries compare

Scam targeting and scam success do not move in lockstep. France sees the highest daily targeting (56%) but not the highest victimization. The US ranks slightly lower in targeting (51%), yet has the highest share of people who lost money (17%). Spain has the lowest daily targeting (41%) and the lowest victimization rate (11%). In simple terms, the fact that there are fewer scam attempts in the country does not necessarily mean that there are fewer scam victims or that residents lose less money: scam type, credibility, and user behavior matter just as much.

The scam environment also looks very different in each market.

At the same time, the victim profile is strikingly similar across all three countries: although all groups are targeted, younger, higher-income, urban professionals are the most vulnerable. In the US, the clearest divide is income, with high-income respondents overrepresented among victims. In France, the standout divide is generational, with Gen Z most overrepresented. In Spain, the strongest indication is occupational, with professionals standing out most.

Payment behavior reflects local market habits. The US stands out for gift cards (29%) and cryptocurrency (22%), both tied to urgency and investment scams. Spain leans heavily on Bizum and other peer-to-peer payments, while France remains more traditional, relying mostly on direct bank transfers and card payments.

One finding is consistent everywhere: protection tends to come after the damage is done. Victims are more likely than non-victims to use protection tools in all three countries — 72% vs. 54% in the US, 73% vs. 55% in France, and 67% vs. 56% in Spain. Across markets, security behavior is still largely reactive rather than preventive.

How not to fall for an AI-driven scam

Slow down and verify before you pay, especially with gift cards, wire transfers, or crypto

Scammers use urgency to bypass critical thinking, and AI makes their scripts sound more convincing than ever. If you feel pressure to act "right now” and pay or share personal data, such as your financial details, stop and double-check the information you received.

Treat unexpected video calls, voicemails, and emails with skepticism

Deepfake video and voice cloning cause people financial losses. Scammers have used it to impersonate CEOs, coworkers, and even romantic interests. Always confirm unusual requests through a second reliable channel like in-person conversation.

Be skeptical of unexpected links, QR codes, and attachments

Double-check the source they come from. Phishing has moved beyond email to text messages (smishing) while fake QR codes are stuck over real ones on parking meters and restaurant menus (quishing). Hover over links before clicking to see the real URL.

Use cybersecurity tools to protect yourself from scam

Surfshark offers a personal email masking feature which allows you to generate masked emails and sign up for online services without exposing your actual personal information. Also, make sure you turn on Surfshark’s email scam checker, a tool that analyzes Gmail for phishing attempts, manipulation tactics, and scam patterns. One more helpful tool is dark web monitoring, which scans databases and the dark web to notify you instantly if your emails, passwords, credit cards, or IDs are leaked.

Methodology

This study is based on a survey of 2,832 adults across the United States (n=1,010), France (n=1,013), and Spain (n=809). The data was collected in June 2026.

Samples were balanced by key demographic variables, including age and gender. The US sample was composed of 51% men and 49% women. Age groups were distributed as follows: 18–24 (13%), 25–34 (20%), 35–44 (20%), 45–54 (17%), 55–64 (17%), and 65–74 (12%). In terms of education, 61% held a qualification below bachelor level, and 39% held a bachelor's degree or above. Respondents were grouped into three income categories based on self-reported household financial situation: high income (can afford major purchases and save regularly), average income (can cover basic necessities with little or no savings), and low income (struggles to afford some basic necessities); by income, 31% were classified as high income, 47% as average income, and 22% as low income.

Some questions allowed respondents to select more than one answer; percentages for these questions may therefore exceed 100% in total. Several questions, including amount lost, payment methods, and why the scam felt believable, were only asked to those who confirmed they personally lost money (n=172 in the US). All findings are based on self-reported experiences. Respondents may underreport victimization due to embarrassment, or overestimate exposure frequency.

National-scale projections for the United States were calculated using a baseline of 269,763,509 adults (18+), sourced from the Annie E. Casey Foundation's analysis of US Census Bureau¹ estimates.

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