Nearly three in four US scam victims report mental health harm, poll finds
Summary
A Gallup poll found that 10 percent of US adults experienced a scam last year, either personally or through someone in their household. Nearly three-quarters of these victims said the scams harmed their mental health, and the total financial losses reached an estimated $68 billion in 2025.Key Facts
- 6 percent of US adults were personally scammed in 2025; 4 percent were affected indirectly through household members.
- Scams caused many victims to become more cautious online and hesitant to do business with unfamiliar companies.
- Lower-income adults and those with less education reported higher scam victim rates.
- Black and Hispanic adults experienced higher scam rates than white adults.
- The average money lost per scam was $5,578, with total losses around $68 billion in 2025.
- One in five scam victims faced severe financial difficulties, especially households earning under $80,000 annually.
- About 73 percent of scam victims reported negative effects on their mental health.
- Nearly 24 percent of US adults say they have been scammed at least once in their lifetime.
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