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Sadly fraud is an ever-increasing problem in our country and world. According to the FBI, over 1 million fraud reports were filed in 2025, compared to 859,532 in 2024. The increase is mainly due to cryptocurrency scams, which account for almost 49% of all fraud-related losses.

Below are the 10 most common types of fraud according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

1. Imposter Scams: This scam is best described as fraudster’s contact you pretending to be someone you trust; a government official, a family member, or a representative from a well-known company, to convince you to send money or share personal information. These scams are highly effective because they exploit your emotions, such as fear, urgency, or a desire to help.
2. Online Shopping Scams: This is where a person or group impersonates a delivery service like USPS, FedEx, or UPS, or an online retailer (think Amazon) to steal your money, personal data, or login credentials.
3. Business and Job Opportunities: These occur when a fraudster promises a high-paying job, a proven way to make money easily, or a lucrative business venture that requires a large up-front payment.
4. Investment and Cryptocurrency Scams: The newest type of fraud involves a person promising significant financial returns or exclusive opportunities. These are designed to steal your money or digital assets. Unfortunately, these scams are becoming more sophisticated, using deepfake technology and AI-generated content to impersonate famous entrepreneurs or financial influencers.
5. Internet Service Scams: These scams involve a fraudster impersonating your service provider by sending texts or emails offering an amazing upgrade or requiring you to download a software fix to avoid a security breach.
6. Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams: This occurs when you are contacted about winning a large sum of money, a luxury item, or a vacation. These come with either a request for personal information or a fee to claim the prize.
7. Mobile Service Scams: This type of scam is also known as SIM swapping or Port-Out-Fraud. A fraudster takes control of your mobile phone or gets you to pay for unnecessary mobile-related services.
8. Health Care Scam: Criminals will attempt to gain access to sensitive medical information in an attempt to fraudulently bill insurance companies or Medicare for services you were never provided.
9. Timeshare and Vacation Scams: High-Pressure sales pitches, resale offers, and exit plans are all scams that can occur during the lifecycle of timeshare ownership. All of these include a “too-good-to-be-true” theme that always requires the victim to pay high up-front costs.
10. Debt Management and Mortgage Foreclosure Relief Scams: Groups target financially distressed individuals and families by making false promises to reduce debt, stop foreclosures, or modify loans in exchange for upfront payments. These fraudsters will never deliver the services they promise.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

The best way to defend yourself against most, if not all, of these types of scams is to take the advice of the FBI and “Take a Beat”. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you suspect that you have been contacted by someone who is trying to defraud you, take the following steps to increase your digital security:

• Reach out directly to the company, “contacting you with the amazing offer” to verify its validity.
• Add a security freeze or fraud alert to major credit consumer reports that can prevent others from trying to open accounts under your name.
• Audit your password strength. Apple, Samsung, Google, and other companies offer great password savers.
• Enable multifactor authentication (MFA) for your accounts to add an extra layer of security.

The IC3 receives an average of 3,000 fraud reports per day, so don’t ever think you are alone. If you suspect you or any of your family members have been the victim of financial, medical, or identity theft, contact your local FBI office to make a report.