Scammers defrauded Americans of $470 million through text messages in 2024, a fivefold increase over losses reported in 2020, according to new data released by the Federal Trade Commission.
The agency’s latest Consumer Protection Data Spotlight shows that even as the number of reported incidents declined, the total dollar amount lost surged to a record high. Fake package delivery notices were the most frequently reported scam, followed by bogus job opportunities and fraudulent bank alerts.
