Tech Support Scam Statistics
Reported losses and complaint volumes for tech-support fraud, drawn from FBI IC3 and FTC Consumer Sentinel official reports.
Last reviewed: 7 July 2026
Tech-support scams impersonate well-known technology companies — Microsoft, Apple, Google — or antivirus providers, claiming that the victim's device has a virus or security breach. Victims are directed to call a phone number or allow remote access to their computer, after which the fraudster either installs actual malware, steals credentials, or convinces the victim to pay for fictional repair services. Losses are particularly concentrated among older adults.
Official figures substantially under-represent the true scale. Many victims, especially older adults, do not report because they feel embarrassed or do not connect what happened to them with a reportable crime. The FBI IC3 and FTC both note that tech-support fraud is among the categories most likely to go unreported, partly because victims often realise only gradually that they were defrauded.
Key figures
More than 80,000 complaints and losses exceeding $2.9 billion from tech-support and government-impersonation call-centre fraud in 2025
Tech support and government impersonation call-centre fraud losses (US, FBI IC3)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report (2025)
$2,134,675,818 in losses across 47,794 Tech/Customer Support complaints in 2025
Exact FBI IC3 Tech Support crime-type losses (US)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report (2025)
The FTC began sending 736,375 payments totaling more than $25.5 million to consumers who paid for computer repair services from defendants ordered to pay $26 million
FTC redress to tech-support-scam victims (Restoro/Reimage case)
Source: FTC Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025 Report to Congress (2025)
Approximately 175 arrests through 13 joint operations with the CBI in 2025; more than 475 arrests across 27 joint operations since 2022
Joint FBI–India CBI law enforcement operations against call-centre fraud (2025)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report (2025)
$1,040,730,043 in losses across 21,333 Tech/Customer Support complaints filed by victims aged 60 and over in 2025
Tech-support scam losses reported by adults 60+ (US, FBI IC3)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report (2025)
$1,226,298,080 in losses across 17,355 Tech/Customer Support complaints with a cryptocurrency nexus in 2025
Cryptocurrency-linked tech-support fraud losses (US, FBI IC3)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report (2025)
Victims aged 60 and over reported $7.748 billion in losses across 201,266 complaints in 2025 — a 59% increase in losses over 2024, with 12,444 complainants losing more than $100K each
Older adults' total fraud losses across all scam types (US, FBI IC3)
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Internet Crime Report (2025)
Older adults reported $159 million in losses to tech-support scams in 2024
Tech-support scam losses reported by older adults (US, FTC)
Source: FTC Consumer Sentinel Network 2024 Data Book (2024)
215 arrests made through 11 joint operations in 2024 — a 700% increase from the prior year
Joint FBI–India CBI law enforcement operations against call-centre fraud (2024)
Source: FBI IC3 2024 Annual Internet Crime Report (2024)
$1.9 billion in losses across 53,369 Call Center Scam complaints in 2024
FBI IC3 Call Center Scam losses (US)
Source: FBI IC3 2024 Annual Internet Crime Report (2024)
Older adults (60+) reported losses of $2.4 billion in 2024, up from $1.9 billion in 2023, and remain far more likely than younger adults to report losing money on tech support scams
Older adults' total fraud losses across all scam types (US, FTC)
Source: FTC Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025 Report to Congress (2024)
Key takeaways
- The FBI IC3 recorded $1.46 billion in losses from tech-support and government-impersonation call-centre fraud combined in 2024.
- Older adults bear a disproportionate share of losses, reporting $159 million to the FTC in tech-support scams alone in 2024.
- Enforcement is growing: the FBI and India's CBI made 215 arrests in 2024 through 11 joint operations targeting call-centre fraud — a 700% increase over 2023.
- Legitimate technology companies never send unsolicited pop-ups asking you to call a number, and they do not request remote access or gift-card payments to fix device issues.
Frequently asked questions
Why do tech-support scams disproportionately affect older adults?
The FTC and FBI consistently document that older adults report tech-support scam losses at higher rates and higher median amounts than younger adults. Researchers attribute this to several factors: greater trust in authority figures, less familiarity with how software companies actually communicate, and a higher rate of computer ownership without a trusted person nearby to provide a second opinion. The FTC reported that older adults were 'much more likely' than younger adults to report losing money on tech-support scams in 2024.