F-Secure Scam Intelligence & Impacts Report 2025
Behind every scam is a human cost. This year’s online scam report reveals how fraud has evolved into a psychological, social, and systemic weapon—reshaping trust among consumers, service providers, and the digital systems that connect them.
Key Findings
F-Secure global insights and fraud data analysis reveal a disconnect: most people trust their ability to spot scams—yet nearly half still fell victim. Overconfidence leaves consumers exposed, and stigma leaves many too ashamed to speak out, making scams among the most underreported crimes today.
Key Findings 1 of 5
Confidence ≠ Resilience
69% of people believe they can spot a scam—but 43% of those individuals still fell victim in the past year.
F-Secure Consumer Market Survey, January 2025
Key Findings 2 of 5
Victimization is Rising
Scam rates doubled in the USA from 2024 to 2025. In Vietnam, 90% of respondents were scammed last year.
F-Secure Consumer Market Survey, January 2025
Key Findings 3 of 5
Young Adults Are Most Exposed
Individuals aged 18–34 face more than double the scam risk of adults aged 65–74.
F-Secure Consumer Market Survey, January 2025
Key Findings 4 of 5
Underreporting is Widespread
Only 7% of scams are reported globally, largely due to victim blaming and feelings of shame.
GASA analysis of multiple data sources, 2024
Key Findings 5 of 5
Consumers Want Protection
50% are willing to pay for scam protection—especially younger adults who expect it from service providers.
F-Secure Consumer Market Survey, January 2025
What’s in the Report?
What’s in the Report?
The F‑Secure Scam Intelligence & Impacts Report 2025 examines how misplaced confidence makes consumers vulnerable to threats such as fake emails, phishing attacks, and text message scams. Drawing on the latest consumer data and firsthand victim accounts, it reveals the true scale of scams and shows how cyber criminals exploit trust through AI scams and artificial intelligence fraud—highlighting the urgent need for stronger cyber security education.
The report also investigates the global machinery driving today’s online fraud, from deepfake scams and cryptocurrency fraud to the operations inside international scam centers. Through data and fraud analysis, it shows how scammers combine technology and psychology to scale deception. These insights reveal how cyber offences are evolving into complex cyber crime networks that impact consumers worldwide.
Finally, the report highlights how service providers can lead the fight against scams through proactive fraud prevention, cyber security training, and ongoing consumer education. By embedding protection into everyday services, they can shift from reactivity to resilience. The conclusion is clear: tackling scams requires addressing both the technical and human elements of cyber fraud—strengthening empathy, awareness, and trust.
Download the Report
Explore comprehensive consumer data and scam insights in the F‑Secure Scam Intelligence & Impacts Report 2025.
Dive Deeper into the Insights
2025 Scam Landscape: How Overconfidence Leaves Consumers Vulnerable
Scams don’t just exploit gaps in knowledge—they prey on overconfidence. Based on new market survey findings and scam statistics, this chapter unpacks the paradox of modern cyber crime: the more confident consumers feel, the more vulnerable they become.
By Timo Salmi
Senior Solution Marketing Manager, F‑Secure
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Dr Megan Squire
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The Silent Toll of Scams: Breaking the Cycle of Shame and Inaction
Drawing on cyber fraud statistics from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), this chapter explores the deeper human toll of scams—from victim shaming to silence driven by stigma—and why awareness alone isn’t enough.
Jorij Abraham
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From crypto hype fueling consumer anxiety to billion-dollar scam networks, this chapter demystifies the cryptocurrency fraud landscape and explores how everyday users can protect themselves in a system built for speed, not safety.
Laura Kankaala
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The Future of Trust: Reckoning with an Increasingly Unreliable Digital World
Grounded in new foresight research, this chapter explores how consumer coping behaviors are evolving in response to an increasingly untrustworthy internet—and how protection must adapt in parallel.
Dr Laura James
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Inside Scam Centers: The Dual Realities of Privilege and Exploitation
From designer-clad scam call center employees to trafficked workers forced into scam farms, this chapter exposes the dual realities behind global fraud operations and why service providers must move beyond stereotypes to protect consumers.
Laura Kankaala
Head of Threat Intelligence, F‑Secure
The Future of Scams: What the Next 5 Years Could Bring
Scams are adapting fast—and the next wave could be more personal than ever. This chapter explores what might come next, from AI agents and all-in identity theft to moments of trust that open the door to deception.
Insights from Sarogini Muniyandi, Joel Latto, and Laura Kankaala
