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A new AARP report has found that an estimated 38 percent of American adults (about 103 million people) have had money stolen due to fraud or sensitive information obtained and used fraudulently. The numbers are even higher among adults age 50 and older, with 41 percent saying they’ve been victims, compared with 35 percent of those ages 18 to 49.
The figures are based on a survey of 1,696 U.S. adults that was designed to assess their understanding and awareness of various types of scams. Its findings are summarized in the AARP report “The Fraud Crisis in America: How Adult Consumers Feel, What They Know and Their Exposure to Risk.”
Incidents of fraud have exploded in recent years, with Americans reporting a record $12.8 billion stolen in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). But that’s likely a small fraction of the total: While the FTC received reports of $10 billion stolen in 2023, the agency later noted that, when accounting for underreporting, losses could have been as high as $158.3 billion that year.
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“Every day, we must remember that criminals are constantly looking for new ways to steal our hard‑earned money,” says Amy Nofziger, senior director of fraud victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network. “By working together, we can fight back, so that next year, the number is even closer to zero.”
The AARP report found that most of those surveyed (59 percent) are significantly worried about these crimes, and becoming a victim tops the list of fears for many (30 percent overall). Adults 50 and older are more likely to express a high level of concern about fraud, with 63 percent rating their level of worry between 6 and 10 on a scale of 0 to 10. That’s compared with 55 percent of respondents ages 18 to 49 who reported being very worried.
Black respondents are the most likely to have been fraud victims: 45 percent versus 39 percent for Hispanic respondents, 37 percent for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) respondents and 36 percent for white respondents.
AAPI adults, along with Black and Hispanic adults, express high levels of worry about becoming fraud victims: 73 percent of AAPI adults, 69 percent of Black respondents and 61 percent of Hispanic respondents rate their worry at 6 or above, compared with 54 percent of white respondents.
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