£9.4 billion stolen from UK consumers in a year

£9.4 billion stolen from UK consumers in a year – with 1 in 5 targeted by scammers

• Millennials and children are increasingly becoming victim to scams, with losses soaring among younger age groups.
• Shopping (purchase) scams top the list as the most common type of fraud.
• Seven top tips to help consumers stay safe this festive season.

Scammers stole an estimated £9.4 billion from UK consumers over the past 12 months, according to the latest State of Scams in the UK report from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), in partnership with UK-leading fraud prevention service Cifas and Tietoevry Banking. One in five (20%) adults say they were targeted and had money taken, with the average victim having £878.60 stolen.

The report highlights a worrying trend: younger adults and even children are increasingly being targeted. Millennials (29-44-year-olds) had an average of £1,456.90 stolen - more than triple the losses reported by Gen X (those aged 45-60), with £444.10. Alarmingly, 16% of UK parents with children aged 7–17 say at least one has been the victim of a scam.

Shopping (purchase) scams were the most common type of fraud, affecting 45% of victims. And while many believe they can spot a scam, those who claim they “always recognise a scam” had more taken than anyone else – averaging £1,591.90.

Despite the scale of the problem, 77% of victims did report the scam to their payment service, and nearly half (47%) were able to recover at least part of their money. Encouragingly, 91% of adults say they take steps to verify whether an offer is genuine.

With Black Friday and the festive season approaching, GASA, Cifas and Tietoevry Banking are urging consumers to stay alert. Scammers often exploit seasonal shopping spikes and target people through platforms with direct messaging functions.

Jorij Abraham, Managing Director of GASA, said: “Scams are no longer isolated incidents. They’ve become a systemic, data-driven threat to the UK’s digital economy.

“This report provides the evidence policymakers and businesses need to act decisively, share data and intelligence faster, and coordinate prevention as effectively as the scams themselves. Only through cross-sector collaboration can we protect every household from this growing epidemic.” 

Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas, commented: “Fraud is a national emergency costing the UK billions each year and affecting millions of lives. What’s especially alarming is the growing number of younger victims, including children, being targeted by increasingly sophisticated scams.

“As we head into the busiest shopping season of the year, it’s vital that consumers stay vigilant and verify before they buy.

“At Cifas, we’re committed to empowering individuals and organisations with the tools they need to spot scams early and stop it in its tracks – and that includes helping parents and schools protect children from becoming victims.”

Gunnar Koren, Head of Financial Crime Prevention at Tietoevry Banking, said: “The report shows that while 80% of people feel confident spotting scams, professional fraudsters have evolved far beyond what most consumers are prepared for. Operating on a global scale, using Crime-as-a-Service networks and AI-driven tactics, today's criminals create highly targeted and convincing attacks.

“With 76% of individuals encountering scams and a third of UK victims reporting a mental wellbeing impact, it’s clear that it is not only a matter of financial losses but also in confidence, trust, and mental wellbeing. We need closer collaboration across the financial ecosystem, from banks to tech platforms, to strengthen detection and protect end-consumers.”

How consumers can protect themselves from scams

1. Always use official sites when buying goods or services
2. Get a second opinion on any unexpected communication you receive
3. Take your time, don’t respond to urgency
4. Report scams to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040
5. Forward phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
6. Forward spam messages to 7726
7. Visit the Government’s ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ website for further help and advice: stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk

Download the State of Scams in the UK report.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For more information, please contact press@cifas.org.uk or annick.dehaas@gasa.org

Methodology

Research was conducted by Opinium Research, on behalf of Global Anti-Scam Alliance, between 26 February to 10 March 2025. Opinium surveyed 2,000 adults (18+) in UK nationally representative of the population. The data has been weighted to be nationally representative on age, gender, and region.

This year’s survey used an updated and more rigorous methodology. Stricter data cleansing was applied, excluding the top 2–5% of highest loss reports to remove outliers, and quotas on age, gender, and region ensured a more representative sample across 42 markets. The research also discontinued global extrapolations – results now reflect only the surveyed markets, a change that will continue in future reports for greater consistency and accuracy.

About GASA

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting consumers worldwide from online scams. GASA unites governments, law enforcement, telecommunication providers, tech leaders, consumer protection agencies, and cybersecurity experts to share knowledge, foster cross-sector and cross-border collaboration, and promote effective solutions in the fight against online fraud. Through research, advocacy, education, and global events, GASA works to build a safer digital world for everyone. Learn more about GASA at www.gasa.org.  

About Cifas
Cifas is the UK’s leading not-for-profit fraud prevention service with nearly 800 members from across key economic sectors including banking, retail, insurance, and telecoms. Cifas protects businesses and individuals from fraud through the sharing of data and intelligence sharing between the private, public and third sectors. Website | LinkedIn | X

In addition to providing products and services which help businesses prevent more than £2.1bn in fraud losses each year, Cifas delivers specialist training through its Cifas Fraud and Cyber Academy and Digital Learning programme.

About Tietoevry Banking

Tietoevry Banking is the market-leading provider of financial SaaS solutions for the Nordics and beyond. With over 3,000 dedicated experts and customers in 30 countries, we deliver solutions for payments and card value chains, financial fraud prevention, lending, and wealth management, as well as a banking-as-a-platform. By combining decades of experience with our modular, scalable, and secure solutions, we empower financial institutions to unlock significant value, and rapidly adapt to market changes, meet regulatory demands, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. Tietoevry Banking is a specialised business unit of Tietoevry. www.tietoevry.com/banking

Contact us at press@cifas.org.uk