Global Scams on the Rise: Over Half of Adults Worldwide Report Scam Encounters, 23% lost money

Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Feedzai Release Global State of Scams 2025

Image

The Netherlands, 7 October 2025 – The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), in partnership with Feedzai, has released the Global State of Scams 2025 Report . Based on a survey of 46,000 adults across 42 markets, the report provides a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence, impact, and policy challenges of scams worldwide. 

In the past 12 months, 57 percent of adults worldwide experienced a scam and 23 percent lost money. Shopping scams affected 54 percent of victims, while investment scams and unexpected money scams each impacted 48 percent. Scam encounters were most frequent in South America, Africa, and Oceania, where up to one in four adults lost money in the last year. 

The research also highlights the emotional toll of scams. 69 percent of victims reported (huge) stress as a result, while 17 percent reported a loss of confidence and 14 percent said scams created heightened tension within their family unit. Despite this, many scams remain unreported, with uncertainty over where to report being the main barrier. 

93% of adults globally claim to take at least one step to verify if an offer is legitimate or not.

However, many often rely on methods that are less effective such as checking for spelling and grammar errors (27%); looking for reviews on the same website (24%) and checking if the company is on social media (21%).  

Despite nearly three quarters of adults globally feeling confident in their ability to recognise a scam, scams remain prevalent, with many scam victims losing money and a significant proportion never reporting their encounters. 

Jorij Abraham, Managing Director of GASA, comments: “We have a huge challenge, 73 percent of people worldwide feel confident they can recognize scams, however, nearly a quarter still lost money in the past year. Scams are not only draining finances but also eroding trust and creating significant stress within families. We are learning that scam awareness campaigns alone are not enough. We need to continuously educate consumers, build better solutions to recognize and block (AI) scams and work internationally closer to get to catch the scammers. 

“Fraud isn’t just about transactions anymore. It’s about intent. Criminals are exploiting trust, behavior, and technology in real time. Stopping them takes more than spotting anomalies; it takes understanding human patterns. No single bank or payment provider can do that alone. The only way forward is collaboration across financial institutions and cybersecurity teams. That’s how we protect consumers everywhere.” — Nuno Sebastião, CEO, Feedzai    The Global State of Scams 2025 Report  emphasizes that scams are no longer isolated crimes but a global threat to consumer safety, financial stability, and trust in digital economies. GASA and Feedzai call for stronger international collaboration, better scam prevention tools, and accountability across platforms, governments, and industries. 

Download the full Global State of Scams 2025 Report

About GASA  

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect consumers worldwide from scams. GASA brings together policymakers, law enforcement, consumer authorities, NGOs, the financial sector, telecom operators, internet platforms, service providers, and cybersecurity organizations to share insights and knowledge. Learn more at https://www.gasa.org

About Feedzai

Feedzai is the world’s first end-to-end financial crime prevention platform, protecting people and payments with AI-native solutions that stop fraud and financial crime. Leading financial institutions trust Feedzai to manage critical risk and compliance processes, safeguarding trillions of dollars of transactions while improving the customer experience and protecting the privacy of everyday users. For more information, visit feedzai.com

For media inquiries, interviews, or access to the full dataset, please contact:  

Metje van der Meer

Marketing Director

metje.vandermeer@gasa.org   

Oct 7, 2025
4 minute read
Category
Research Region - Global Scam Trends Topic - Fraud Research
Written by
Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA)
Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA)
Share article

Latest blogs & research

bancoppel joins gasa

BanCoppel joins the Global Anti-Scam Alliance to bolster fraud prevention and safeguard individuals entering the banking system.

BanCoppel has joined the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) as a Corporate Member of the GASA Mexico Chapter.

News Topic - Fraud Prevention Topic - Scam Awareness Industry - Financial Authorities
Consejos para no caer en fraudes

The emotions scammers exploit: how social engineering influences our decisions

How scammers use fear, urgency, excitement and trust to influence decisions, and how recognising these tactics can help people prevent fraud.

Topic - Scam Awareness Video Scam Trends Region - Latin America
mastercard joins gasa mexico chapter

Global Anti-Scam Alliance Welcomes Mastercard as Founding Member of Its Mexico Chapter

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) announces the membership of Mastercard as a Member of its Mexico Chapter.

News Topic - Fraud Prevention Industry - Financial Authorities Region - Latin America
Building Scam Prevention Capability Through IVR Training

What Uganda’s IVR Trial Shows About Practice-Based Scam Prevention

A Uganda IVR trial shows how practice-based fraud prevention helped mobile money users reduce losses and increase reporting.

Best Practices Industry - Telecom Operators / Hosts Topic - Fraud Prevention Topic - Scam Awareness
How the FTC’s Never EVER Campaign Tackles Imposter Scams

FTC’s Never EVER Campaign Helps Prevent Elder Financial Abuse With Simple, Specific Scam Warnings

The FTC’s Never EVER campaign uses simple, specific imposter scam warnings to help prevent elder financial abuse and support coordinated consumer education.

Best Practices Topic - Fraud Prevention Topic - Scam Awareness Region - North America
gasa mexico chapter 2nd roundtable

GASA Mexico's Second Roundtable Advances Coordinated Action Against Digital Fraud

GASA Mexico's second roundtable brought together more than 35 representatives to strengthen coordination across cybersecurity, fraud prevention and other sectors.

News Topic - Data Sharing Topic - Fraud Policy Industry - Law Enforcement
Cognyte joins GASA

Cognyte Joins Global Anti-Scam Alliance to Fight Financial Fraud Threats

Cognyte, a global leader in investigative analytics software, today announced its membership in the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA).

News Topic - Scam Detection Industry - Law Enforcement Industry - Big Tech / Social Media
Banking Collaboration Strengthens Fraud Prevention

A network is beaten by a network: Mexico's banks move from remediation to prevention

GASA convened the ABM Fraud Committee and Mexican banks to advance the enriched agreement and strengthen coordinated fraud prevention across the sector.

Best Practices Topic - Fraud Prevention Video Industry - Financial Authorities