Top Five Scams according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 

In 2025, top FTC-related scams are heavily driven by artificial intelligence, targeting consumers with high-tech impersonations, fake investments, and fraudulent, high-urgency alerts. The most common scams include AI-powered voice/video impersonation, investment scams with cryptocurrency, fake bank/government alerts, online purchase scams, and tech support scams. 

Here are more details about the top scams:

• AI-Powered Imposter Scams: Scammers use AI to mimic voices of family members or create deepfake videos, often pretending to be government agents (IRS/FBI), bank security, or law enforcement to steal money and personal information.
• Investment & Cryptocurrency Fraud: Fraudsters use “pig butchering” techniques—building trust before pushing fake investments—or promise high returns on crypto, resulting in massive losses.
• Fake Bank Websites & Text Messages (Smishing): Fraudsters send urgent messages about fraud, locked accounts, or failed deliveries, leading victims to fake websites designed to steal login credentials and banking information.
• Online Shopping & Delivery Scams: Fake, high-end e-commerce sites appear on social media, or phishing texts claim a package is stuck, requiring a fee to “redeliver,” leading to credit card theft.
• Tech Support & Service Scams: Fraudsters use pop-ups or phone calls to falsely claim a computer has a virus, demanding payment for “repairs” or accessing bank accounts remotely.

Block unwanted calls and text messages. There are various ways to block or cut down on scam calls and texts to cell phones and land lines. Check your phone provider’s website or call customer service to find out what call-blocking or call-labeling services it offers or recommends. Some services are free, but others might charge you a fee.

Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.

Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information or to pay immediately is a scammer.

Know how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, a payment app, or a gift card. Never deposit a check and send money back to someone.

Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone such as a friend, a family member, or a neighbor what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.

What To Do if You’ve Been Scammed

 Here’s what to do if you find that you’ve been the victim of a scam:

• If you paid the scammer with a gift card, wire transfer, credit or debit card, or cryptocurrency, contact the company or your bank right away.
• Close out any fraudulent accounts.
• Contact the fraud department at the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, to put a credit freeze your accounts and obtain a current credit report and review it.
• Make a report with your local police department.
• Make a report with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov. They will not investigate the crime but use it for statistics.
• Tell others what happened to you to help them from becoming a victim of a scam.
• Keep a log of all you do and BE PERSISTENT!!!