Although fraud and scams continue to soar, prevention efforts and sharing experiences could mitigate risks

Americans are increasingly being targeted for fraud. While many take steps to protect themselves, over a third of adults (approximately 95.4 million) make themselves vulnerable to theft by

responding to calls, texts or friend requests from people they don’t know, AARP research shows. AARP conducted a national survey of 1,423 adults to gauge Americans’ awareness of scams and

examine how well they react to potential threats. More than four in 10 Americans (an estimated 141.5 million adults) say they have lost money to scams or had sensitive information obtained

and used fraudulently. CONCERNS ABOUT FRAUD REFLECT THE SURGE Justifiably, worry about fraud is widespread. Among the adults surveyed, about half (48 percent) are concerned about themselves

or loved ones becoming victims, and 19 percent worry that they would have no means of recovering stolen funds. Most of those who had experienced fraud (72 percent) say they contacted their

financial institution, and many (43 percent) warned others about what occurred with the hope of saving others from potential loss. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), theft

through fraud has surged over the last five years, with losses jumping from $5.9 billion in 2021 to more than $12.5 billion in 2024. As businesses, law enforcement and policy makers work to

address the problem, sharing experiences about fraud encounters and losses and reporting fraud when it occurs are still important to help mitigate risks. PROTECTIONS AND VULNERABILITIES AARP

reports that most Americans (64 percent) do not use distinctly different passwords on all their accounts. That means when one account is compromised, others are at risk. About half also

report downloading free apps or taking quizzes on social media, which can expose users to malicious software. Additionally, most Americans (64 percent) do not use a virtual private network

(VPN) to encrypt their internet connection and protect their data and privacy when using public wi-fi. Furthermore, most (59 percent) may be overly confident about their ability to recognize

fraud attempts driven by artificial intelligence, which can increase their susceptibility.  Nevertheless, Americans are taking at least some proactive steps to help protect themselves from

experiencing fraud. Most (58 percent) say their devices are set to automatically update or they update their devices immediately when new security patches are released. The use of

multifactor authentication on online accounts is common with 84 percent reporting using it on at least a few accounts where it is available. However, fewer than a fifth have it set up on all

their available accounts. Finally, most recognize that being asked to buy gift cards or convert cash to bitcoin to handle urgent financial matters are common scam tactics to avoid.

METHODOLOGY The report is based on a survey of Americans 18 and older conducted in February 2025 via phone and online. The national sample of 1,423 adults was weighted to reflect the

American population by gender, age, education, race/ethnicity and region. For more information, please contact Alicia R. Williams at [email protected]. For media inquiries, contact

External Relations at [email protected].