A new study released by cybersecurity firm Surfshark reveals that digital and phone-based scams drained a minimum of $5.75 billion from Americans throughout 2025, equating to $15.75 million lost every single day.

The findings underline a troubling escalation in online fraud, fuelled by everyday digital habits and the rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence.

Combining three million Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fraud reports with dedicated survey data, the study discovered that over half of American respondents encounter scam attempts on a daily basis.

Social media emerged as the contact method responsible for the greatest financial harm, costing approximately $5.6 million daily, with Facebook identified as the most financially damaging platform at $2.1 billion. Overall, social media scam losses increased by 10% compared to 2024.

Text-message scams saw the steepest volume increase, logging 411,424 FTC reports in 2025 – up nearly 67% year-over-year – making texts the most frequently reported scam contact method. Meanwhile, websites and apps caused over $1.1 billion in losses, phone scams generated another $1.1 billion in damage and email scams accounted for $569 million despite a slight 3% drop in reported volume.

Among all analysed channels, online ads and pop-ups carried the highest risk of financial loss, with nearly two-thirds (64%) of targeted individuals suffering a financial penalty. Across all categories, proved to be the most pervasive single driver, accounting for more than $2 billion in losses.

The research also highlights the role of emerging technology in scaling illegal operations. The United States was identified as the most targeted country globally for AI-driven scams, with more than $704 million tied directly to deepfake-related fraud. Furthermore, FBI data shows that complaints citing AI-related information resulted in $893 million in damages during 2025.

“As generative AI makes it cheaper and easier to produce convincing voices, images, and deceptive content in any language, scammers are now able to scale personalised fraud across borders with ease,” said Gabrielė Sinkevičiūtė, Head of Product at Surfshark.

“While this data focuses on the US market, the methods, particularly the surge in text-message scams, are identical to what we are seeing across other regions. It is more crucial than ever for global consumers to understand the sophisticated nature of these digital gateways.”

https://surfshark.com/research/study/americans-lose-billions-to-online-scams

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