Bitdefender has published its Global Intelligence Report on Scams 2026, a comprehensive analysis of the global scam landscape over a 12-month period. The report examines how these threats have evolved into a sophisticated criminal industry that operates across multiple platforms, shedding light on the tactics, channels and behavioral patterns that cybercriminals use to target consumers around the world.
Online scams and fraud continue to grow at an alarming rate. Losses from this type of crime reached nearly $500 million in 2025 alone. Additionally, an independent global survey conducted by Bitdefender among 7,000 consumers confirms the magnitude of the problem: One in seven respondents (14%) says they have fallen victim to a scam over the past year. This data underscores that scams are no longer just a cybersecurity issue, but a direct threat to users’ financial security and digital identity.
Key Findings of the Report
- Young consumers are the most vulnerable to scams. Young consumers are currently about twice as likely to fall victim to a scam as older generations. The victimization rate stands at 20%, compared with 9.7% among people aged 55 and older. Scammers have followed their audience into social media platforms, gaming environments and messaging apps where young users spend most of their time.
- One in 20 text messages shows signs of possible fraud. A thorough analysis of SMS traffic revealed that 5.2% of all messages analyzed (roughly 1 in 20) displayed characteristics associated with scam infrastructures or coordinated fraud activities. Given the high level of trust users place in this communication channel, this exposure rate is especially concerning.
- Voice calls remain one of the cybercriminals’ preferred channels. During the analyzed period, Bitdefender examined nearly 150 million inbound calls. More than 23 million were classified as unwanted, meaning roughly 1 in 6 calls received on protected devices was considered fraudulent or unsolicited. Additionally, the system processed more than 52 million unique phone numbers, of which more than half a million were identified as unwanted.
- Financial scams lead the digital fraud landscape. Frauds related to investments, banking phishing campaigns, and cryptocurrency scams appear consistently in SMS, social media ads, WhatsApp, voice calls and email. While the lure varies by platform, the objective is always the same: push the victim to make a financial decision quickly before they have time to question the legitimacy of the offer.
“The rapid growth and the increasing sophistication of online scams make it increasingly difficult for consumers to protect their digital activity,” says Ciprian Istrate, Senior Vice President of Operations for Bitdefender’s Consumer Solutions Group. “Although the term ‘scam’ may sound harmless, its consequences are far from it, as they often lead to identity theft, financial losses and data exposure. This report reflects our ongoing commitment to understanding threats at a global scale and to ensuring that our customers have the intelligence and tools they need to stay protected as the threat landscape evolves.”
