A recent report issued by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reveals a distressing overview of the extensive harm being inflicted by cybercriminals throughout the nation.
In 2024, more than 859,000 Americans submitted complaints to the FBI regarding online scams. The total losses amounted to an astonishing $16.6 billion — a 33% increase over the previous year.
The largest financial setbacks were experienced in investment scams , which cost Americans $6.5 billion These plans frequently attract targets by offering big profits, yet the sole individuals becoming wealthy are the fraudsters.
Email and Technical Assistance Frauds Remain Prevalent
Business email compromise scams—in which fraudsters pretend to be executives or suppliers to deceive staff into transferring funds—generated substantial losses $2.7 billion in stolen funds.
Tech support scams are increasing, particularly amongst older American citizens. Such scams frequently begin with a pop-up alert regarding a "virus" or "security issue," which then provides a telephone number to contact for assistance. The victims might be deceived into granting remote control of their computers or end up paying for non-existent services. Altogether, these tech support scams have caused significant financial losses for Americans. $1.4 billion last year.
Among individuals aged 60 and above, tech support scams were the second-highest cause of losses , totaling nearly $1 billion .
Americans aged 60+ lost $2.5 billion to internet scams in 2024. The elderly are frequent targets for several reasons: they tend to be more trusting, often have retirement savings, and may not be as familiar with digital security threats.
The FBI likewise cautioned regarding a significant rise in call center scams , which led to $1.9 billion Many of these frauds result in financial loss. A lot of them start abroad with scammers pretending to be government representatives, technical support providers, or sometimes even relatives over the phone.
The “grandparent scam” keeps expanding too—as fraudsters pretend to be grandchildren in distress, urgently requiring funds to escape from jail or an overseas location.
And then there are toll scams —A more recent scam involving false notifications about outstanding toll fees or parking citations. The total losses in 2024 amounted to just over $129,000 , yet the number of cases continues to rise.
The highest form of defense is being aware. Should anything seem overly alarming or impossibly positive, stop for a moment. Avoid clicking on dubious links, refrain from giving control of your computer to unfamiliar individuals, and under no circumstances should you send money or gift cards to people you've only communicated with online or via telephone.
If you or anyone you know has fallen prey to an online scam, file a report with the FBI’s IC3. www.ic3.gov .
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