Most Common Scams by Reported Volume in 2024
The most common scams in 2024 by reported complaint volume were phishing, extortion, and data breach-related fraud — according to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
859 532 complaints reported to the FBI — ranked by volume
Source: FBI IC3 2024 Annual Report
Top 3 Most Reported Scam Types (2024)
In 2024, the three most commonly reported scams to the FBI were:
- 1193 407Phishing & Spoofing22.5% of all complaints
- 286 415Extortion10.1% of all complaints
- 364 882Personal Data Breaches7.5% of all complaints
These three categories account for 40% of all complaints reported to IC3. Figures from FBI IC3 2024 and reflect reported complaints only.
💡 Key insight: The most common scams aren't always the most costly. Phishing has 4× more reports than investment fraud, but investment fraud causes the biggest financial losses at $6.57B reported.
Phishing & Smishing
Fake texts and emails to steal login credentials and payment info.
193 407
reported complaints
Extortion & Blackmail
Sextortion emails and fake blackmail threats demanding payment.
86 415
reported complaints
Personal Data Breach
Your personal data leaked or stolen, leading to identity theft and financial loss.
64 882
reported complaints
Online Purchase Scams
Fake online stores, non-delivery fraud, and counterfeit goods.
49 572
reported complaints
Cryptocurrency Scams
Fake crypto platforms, pig butchering, and Bitcoin payment demands.
47 919
reported complaints
Tech Support Scams
Fake Microsoft, Norton, and Geek Squad support calls for remote access.
36 002
reported complaints
Payment & BEC Scams
Business Email Compromise, Zelle, Venmo, gift cards, wire transfers, and fake checks.
21 442
reported complaints
Identity Theft
Someone uses your personal information to commit fraud in your name.
21 403
reported complaints
Job & Employment Scams
Fake job offers, check scams, task fraud, and money mule recruitment.
20 044
reported complaints
Romance Scams
Fake online relationships designed to manipulate victims into sending money.
17 910
reported complaints
Government Impersonation
Criminals posing as IRS, Social Security, or law enforcement.
17 367
reported complaints
Crypto ATM & Kiosk Scams
Scammers direct victims to Bitcoin ATMs to make untraceable payments.
10 956
reported complaints
Rental Scams
Fake apartment listings and vacation rental fraud stealing deposits.
9 359
reported complaints
Financial Service Scams
Student loan forgiveness fraud, debt relief scams, fake financial services.
7 097
reported complaints
Prize & Lottery Scams
Fake lottery winnings requiring fees to claim non-existent prizes.
3 690
reported complaints
Corporate Data Breach
Business systems compromised, exposing customer and employee data.
3 204
reported complaints
Gold Courier Scams
Scammers convince victims to buy gold bars and hand them to fake couriers.
525
reported complaints
What This Means for You
You use email daily
Phishing is the #1 reported scam at 193K complaints. One in every four IC3 complaints involves a fake email, text, or spoofed caller.
Your move: Never click links in unexpected messages. Verify the sender address — not the display name. Check our verification guide for SPF/DKIM/DMARC checks.
You have online accounts
Personal data breaches are the #3 reported category at 64K complaints. Once your data leaks, it fuels identity theft, credential stuffing, and targeted phishing.
Your move: Use a password manager with unique passwords everywhere. Enable MFA on all accounts. Check haveibeenpwned.com to see if your credentials are exposed.
You're a parent of teens
Extortion — including sextortion — is the #2 reported category at 86K complaints, with a 59% increase in 2024. Sextortion increasingly targets minors through social media.
Your move: Talk openly with teens about sextortion tactics. If targeted: don't pay, don't engage further, report to NCMEC's CyberTipline (1-800-843-5678) and the FBI IC3.
You get texts from unknown numbers
Toll scams — fake "unpaid toll" texts — generated 59,271 complaints in 2024, making them one of the fastest emerging smishing vectors.
Your move: Never click a link in a toll or delivery text. Go directly to the toll authority's website or app. Legitimate toll agencies send paper notices, not urgent text messages.
Got a suspicious message? Check it against documented fraud patterns.
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🔒 We analyze your message — then it's gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most commonly reported scam in 2024?▼
How many scam complaints were reported in 2024?▼
What's the difference between most common and most costly scams?▼
How are complaint volumes calculated?▼
Explore Scam Data
💰 The most common scams aren't the most expensive. See the biggest scams ranked by reported financial loss in 2024 — investment fraud tops $6.57B alone.
🔥 Check which scam types are growing fastest by year-over-year complaint rate — employment fraud and crypto ATM scams surged in 2024.
👴 Adults over 60 filed 147,127 complaints in 2024. See scams targeting seniors and elderly Americans for age-specific data and protective steps.
🔍 Not sure about a message you received? Use our free scam checker to verify if a message is a scam — with a pro-grade verification guide covering all 11 attack vectors.
📚 Browse all documented fraud patterns in the scam database with red flags, examples, and reporting links.
73% of Americans report being targeted(Pew Research, 2025 survey)
|$470M reported in text-related fraud(FTC, 2024)
|859K+ complaints reported to FBI IC3(FBI IC3, 2024)
Methodology
This ranking is based on complaint counts by fraud category as published in the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2024 Annual Report. Categories reflect the IC3 classification taxonomy. Average loss per complaint is calculated by dividing reported losses by complaint count for each category.
All figures represent self-reported data from complaints submitted to IC3 and do not capture unreported incidents. The IC3 received 859,532 total complaints in 2024, of which 256,256 involved a reported financial loss. Actual scam incidents across all fraud types are estimated to be significantly higher.
This page compiles official FBI IC3 2024 complaint data into a structured category ranking by report volume for public reference. For the original data, see the FBI IC3 2024 Annual Report.