Consumers filed 3 million fraud reports with the FTC last year. Find out which type of fraud tops that list.

Answer: Imposter Scams

The FTC received more than 1 million reports about imposter scams in 2025, with consumers reporting more than $3.5 billion in losses.

Questions:

• Why do you think imposter scams have grown so rapidly in recent years?
• What are warning signs that something could be a scam?
• How can you verify that someone is who they say they are?
• Imposter scams are the most commonly reported fraud, but investment scams cost consumers more than twice as much money. Why might a less common scam lead to bigger losses?

Here are the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Federal Trade Commission): 

• In 2025, consumers filed 3 million fraud reports and reported $15.9 billion in losses. That’s up from 2.6 million reports and just over $12 billion in losses the year before.
• Imposter scams have been the most frequently reported fraud every year since 2020.
• Investment scams cost consumers the most money, with $7.9 billion in reported losses.

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Learn more by completing the NGPF On-Demand: Novice Investor Pitfalls

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.