As AI Fraud Explodes, New Report Says 15 Million Americans Were Scammed Last Year And Americans Lost About $68 Billion

A new report published Tuesday by Gallup and Stop Scams Alliance found that 12% of successful scams in 2025 involved artificial intelligence or deepfakes, highlighting the growing role of AI in modern fraud. The survey also found that 6% of U.S. adults, or roughly 15 million people, were scammed out of money last year. The report, titled United States of Scams: The Financial and Emotional Fallout, surveyed 5,173 U.S. adults between Jan. 8 and Feb. 18, 2026. Researchers noted that AI-driven fraud may be undercounted because many victims may not realize AI tools were used in the scam. AI Makes Fraud Harder To Detect Americans lost an estimated $68 billion to scams in 2025, or roughly $186 million per day, according to the survey. Nearly one in four Americans (24%) said they have been scammed at least once during adulthood. Stop Scams Alliance founder and CEO Ken Westbrook said the scale...