15 Disturbing Credit Card Fraud Statistics (2025)

Get ready, reader. You’re about to be presented with some eye-opening facts about credit card fraud, identity theft, and other financial scams. If you feel nervous by the end, try not to be. This overview is meant to educate and empower. 

Having been a victim of these types of financial crimes in the past, I understand how difficult it can be to learn that your personal data has been compromised. If someone uses your credit card account without your authorization, you can definitely feel violated. I know I did. To this day, I still wonder how and why my card was stolen and used to purchase 300 pairs of sunglasses. 

Here are 15 disturbing credit card fraud statistics to know — and the remedies to either offset the crimes from happening or repair the damage if it does.

It’s wonderful to be on top — unless it’s regarding credit card fraud. According to data from the most recent global study on identity theft, the United States eclipses nearly every country on the planet as the most prone to credit fraud.¹ India has the most, with 27.2 million people falling victim. The U.S. is second, with 13.5 million. 

And how much have American adults lost in the illegal transactions? In 2023, a total of $43 billion.²

Remedy: Dispute fraudulent transactions as soon as you find out about them. As per the Fair Credit Billing Act, you are not financially responsible for unauthorized charges that exceed $50 as long as you dispute them within 60 days from the date you receive the bill. Most credit card issuers and retailers are sensitive to the plight of victims, and will usually waive all the fraudulent charges.

Fraudsters don’t let an opportunity go to waste, and that includes disasters that leave consumers especially vulnerable. 

For example, in April 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, the dollar amount of attempted fraudulent transactions rose 35%.³ In 2024, Hurricane Helene hit the Southeastern part of the country, prompting U.S. prosecutors to warn residents that charlatans and opportunists were looking to exploit storm victims.⁴ Fraudsters pretend to help, but collect peoples’ personal information for their own gain.

Remedy: If you suspect identity theft or anticipate an extended period where monitoring your credit might be challenging, such as during an emergency, consider freezing your credit to block unauthorized access. Should you encounter fraudulent activity, report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Regularly check your bank accounts and credit reports for any unusual activity. 

Pro tip: Before entering your credit card account information to make the purchase, look at the web address in the browser bar. It should start with “https” and include a gray padlock symbol. If it doesn’t, the eCommerce site isn’t secure, and your data can be more easily pilfered.

You may also be communicating more online for assistance, so exercise caution. Make sure you only use your credit card on trusted and secure websites. Never click on emails and texts from retailers offering promotions and instead go directly to the company websites.

Also, avoid shopping from public wifi hotspots, because your information can be grabbed by someone else on the network.

According to Flashpoint’s 2024 Global Threat Intelligence Report, 17 billion records were stolen through data breaches in 2023; a 34.5% increase over the prior year.⁵ With that information, crooks can steal thousands of dollars before a fraudulent transaction is detected, so the cost to purchase your account data is well worth the price to fraudsters.

The Dark Web Price Index for 2024, the price of data on the dark web depends on the information type.⁶ For example:

• Credit card details: $17 to $120
• Hacked Facebook accounts: $45
• Stolen online banking logins cost: $50 each
• Online banking login information: $65 
• Hacked web and entertainment services, like Netflix or Uber: $40 
• Cloned VISA with PIN: $20 
• Stolen PayPal account details, minimum $1,000 balance: $20

Remedy: Consider enrolling in an identity theft monitoring service. These services continually scan the wide expanse of the dark web for information about you that may be for sale. If it finds anything, the company will immediately send out an alert.

At that stage, you can contact your credit card issuer and explain what you’ve discovered. Your card issuer will change the account numbers and send you a replacement credit card.

Aggravated identity theft is the act of knowingly transferring, possessing, or using without permission the identification of another person — then using it to commit a particular felony violation. The 2023 United States Sentencing report found that some individuals convicted of aggravated identity theft had certain characteristics in common.⁷ Here are a few that stood out:

• 75% of individuals convicted were men
• Their average age was 39 years old
• 45.5% were Black, 31% were White, 19.7% were Hispanic, and 3.8% were other races
• 79.9% were United States citizens
• 43.9% had little or no prior criminal history
• 13.5% were convicted of multiple counts
• 89.7% were also convicted of another offense 

Remedy: There’s no reason to look askance at any particular demographic. Just don’t assume that a person who doesn’t look the part of “crook” isn’t one. 

Instead, protect your credit cards and personal information no matter where you are and who you’re with. Keep all of your credit cards in a safe place, and reduce paper trails by having all your credit and banking correspondence sent to you electronically.

2024 Federal Trade Commission data revealed that each generation is affected by identity theft in different ways. The most common types of fraud for people up to age 29 involve payment apps or services, while fraud for people from age 30 to 80-plus typically involves credit cards.⁸ 

How much people lose to fraud differs by age group as well:

19 and under: Median loss of $194

20 to 29: Median loss of $438

30 to 39: Median loss of $479

40 to 49: Median loss of $500

50 to 59: Median loss of $531

60 to 69: Median loss of $695

70 to 79: Median loss of $1000

80 and over: Median loss of $1503 

Remedy: Do not assume that you are too old or too young to be targeted by identity thieves. However, if you are a parent and have suspicions that your minor child’s identity has been compromised, check his or her consumer credit report immediately. 

A credit report will be generated when a Social Security number is used to obtain credit cards and loans, so if someone has committed fraud against your child, you’ll soon find out and can clear it up. You may also consider contacting the police to file a police report against the perpetrator.

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s 2024 Consumer Sentinel Network report, Georgia has the most identity theft cases in the U.S.⁹ 

The ten states for most identity theft reports are:

The states with the least incidences of identity theft are:

Remedy: If you live in a state with higher incidences of identity theft, there’s no reason to move — just take action. It is your right and responsibility to view your own credit reports so you can detect fraud, but it also takes time. If you don’t have it to spare, you may want to invest in a private credit monitoring service, such as LifeLock or Identity Guard.

While these companies can’t stop fraud from occurring, they do lay down roadblocks and will alert you to suspicious activity in real time. 

It’s important to safeguard your existing credit card accounts from being used by other people, but today’s crooks find them less desirable than your personal information that can be used to open new credit cards. A Javelin Identity Theft Fraud study found that in 2023 new-account fraud reached $5.3 billion, a major hike compared to $3.9 billion in the previous year.¹⁰

Remedy: When it comes to identity theft, the most valuable piece of information is your Social Security number. With it, thieves can open accounts in your name, so locking down that number is crucial.

You’ll want to make it as difficult as possible for criminals to steal your information. The Social Security Administration offers free cybersecurity protection to all consumers. When you enroll, it will add another layer of protection between you and cybercriminals.

The days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become targets for identity theft and scams. For criminals, it makes sense. People are more apt to be spending money on things they don’t normally buy and are busy, so they may not be paying attention. In a 2024 AARP survey, 82% of the respondents said they had encountered some kind of fraudulent activity. ¹¹

Other findings that are relevant to the holiday season include:

• 56% of respondents received a fraudulent notification from someone claiming they were from the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, or UPS inquiring about a shipment issue​.
• 255 of respondents have had a package stolen from outside their door.
• 35% received a suspicious donation request in the past year.​
• 35% experienced fraud when purchasing a product through an online ad.​

Remedy: Slow down! The holidays can be hectic, making you less likely to ensure the sites you’re shopping on are legitimate and secure. To streamline the process, try to stick to just a few online retailers and use only one or two credit cards. Then if fraud does occur, you won’t have to do as much legwork to fix the problem.

When you envision a credit card thief, you may picture someone using your card to pay for things at a department store counter. That’s an increasingly rare occurrence, though. Roughly 70% of all card-related fraud happens in a card-not-present (CNP) scenario.¹² And it’s definitely on the rise. It is projected that CNP fraud will reach $49 billion globally by 2030.

Remedy: Card-not-present fraud is pretty much out of your control as a consumer since the responsibility falls on the retailers and credit card issuers. They have to make sure all transactions are legitimate. Technology is coming to the rescue, though.

For example, you may have to verify your identity with multifactor authentication, in which you verify your identity by receiving a code on your mobile device to allow a transaction to go through. Encryption and tokenization are used to ensure that accounts kept in digital wallets are safe.

If you’re nervous about artificial intelligence (AI) adding to the problem of fraud, you’re in good company.  A 2024 Nationwide Cybersecurity Survey Report found that 82% of consumers are concerned about the risk of identity theft, 86% are worried about the use of AI to steal someone’s identity, and 73% are specifically concerned about being the target of AI deepfakes.¹³ 

Remedy: Always go to the source. You may receive a phone call, text message, or email alerting you to problems associated with your account. Instead of responding to those incoming messages, which could be AI driven fraud, contact your bank by either logging onto your account, using the app, or calling the customer service number on your card. A genuine representative will be able to assist you. 

Cybercrime is any illegal activity that involves a computer, network, or networked devices. It involves fraud by way of email and Internet activity, stealing financial accounts, malware, and online recruitment fraud such as fake job opportunities. 

Because most people spend a lot of time online, it is important to know the risks and what to do should it occur. The Nationwide Cybersecurity Survey Report found that 65% of consumers know about phishing and fake job, lottery, or prize scams, and 60% are aware of QR code scams.¹³ However, many still engage in risky online behavior:

• 15% share personal information with someone on an online dating site or app
• 20% share usernames and passwords with friends and family
• 21% post personal information on social media
• 21% use public computers, such as at an airport, library, or hotel
• 28% use unsecured, public wifi networks or hotspots 
• 31% use public USB ports to charge their phone
• 31% store, personal information, such as Social Security numbers and passwords in their phone

Remedy: Because cybercrime is increasingly common, take proactive steps to safeguard your digital life:

• Ensure that all software and operating systems on your devices are regularly updated. It will keep your systems equipped with the latest security patches.
• Employ robust anti-virus software to detect and remove threats. Avoid public computers, WiFi, and ports since they can open you up to cyberattacks. 
• Make sure your passwords are strong and unique passwords for different accounts, and do not open attachments or click on links from unknown sources.
• Never share your personal information online with anyone. 
• Monitor your bank statements for any unauthorized transactions, and report problems immediately.

Identity thieves use all different types of methods to get you to give up your personal information or hack into your accounts. But when it comes to total losses, the 2024 FTC report found that social media resulted in the highest.⁹

It accounted for $1,486 million in losses. However, the amount per person for the median amount lost was just $341. On the other hand, total losses for identity theft by phone were $850 million, but the median amount each person lost was $1,480.

Remedy: It’s always worse to lose a large amount of money than a small amount, but even losing a few dollars feels terrible when it happens. Be skeptical when you are asked to provide any personal or financial information by email, phone, text, mail, and through websites, apps, and social media accounts. As always, go straight to the source if you need to communicate. 

An astonishing 72% of people worry about becoming victims of identity theft.¹⁴ Their reasons? Because they not only believe that the ramifications will be serious, they also do not feel confident that they can prevent it from happening to them.

As a comparison, the poll found that only 28% of the respondents said that they worry about getting murdered. Here is a breakdown of some of the results:

Remedy: Maintain perspective! Yes, you may very well be hit by a fraudster, even after doing your best to protect yourself against it, but all the damage that a person can cause is fixable. 

Remember, you have tools to avoid paying for a crook’s charges, you can purge your credit report of false information, and take even stronger measures against fraud, making it even more unlikely to happen again. It can take time and energy, but the fact is you can overcome credit card fraud. Compared to bodily harm or untimely death, there is no comparison.

Roughly 327,000 cases of credit card fraud were reported to the FTC through the third quarter of 2024.¹⁵ That represents a 3% hike from the same period in 2023. The increase is minor compared to other forms of identity theft, which have risen by 28%. 

Remedy: Thieves depend on being able to operate in the dark. The fewer people who know about fraud and protective measures, the more they can get away with their crimes.

That’s why you need to become a mouthpiece for accurate information. Share what you’ve learned about how to protect your credit cards and identity with your family members, friends, and colleagues.

Whether someone uses your credit card without your permission or your identity was used to open new accounts, chances are high that you’ll feel a range of emotions. They include depression, helplessness, powerlessness, and fear. For some, the distress is particularly acute. 

In 2023, the ITRC reported that 16% of identity fraud victims said they’d thought about ending their lives afterward.¹⁶

Remedy: In addition to applying all the identity theft precautionary techniques and remedies, talk about your concerns with people who understand. Do not hesitate to discuss your anxiety, anger, and fear with a professional if you’ve been a victim of fraud.

A counselor or therapist can guide you through this tough time, as can someone from one of the nonprofit organizations set up to help consumers overcome the impact of fraud, such as the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Credit card fraud is clearly something to take seriously. The numbers are striking. Knowledge, however, is power. All the preceding statistics and facts should motivate you to stay on top of your accounts and keep an eye on your credit reports. Don’t let thieves easily get away with crime. 

As for me, since the great sunglass heist, I have definitely taken measures to prevent credit card theft from ever happening again. 

<sup>1. https://www.idtheftcenter.org/post/2023-consumer-impact-report-record-high-number-itrc-victims-suicidal-thoughts/
2. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1389318/identity-theft-victims-in-selected-countries/
3. https://www.javelinstrategy.com/research/2024-identity-fraud-study-resolving-shattered-identity-crisis
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8581570/
5. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/02/hurricane-helene-fraud-scams-theft/75459635007/
6. https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/personal-records-exposed-data
7. https://www.packetlabs.net/posts/the-price-vs-cost-of-dark-web-monitoring
8. https://www.ussc.gov/research/quick-facts/aggravated-identity-theft
9. https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/AgeandFraud/Infographic
10. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/CSN-Annual-Data-Book-2023.pdf
11. https://javelinstrategy.com/research/2023-identity-fraud-study-butterfly-effect
12. https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2024/holiday-related-scams-report.html
13. https://www.pymnts.com/news/security-and-risk/2023/experts-stem-49billion-dollar-rising-card-not-present-fraud/
14. https://news.nationwide.com/download/1efb83a7-d537-400e-a459-222ccbc182f8/nationwideagencycybersecurityreport2024-consumers.pdf
15. https://news.gallup.com/poll/544643/scams-relatively-common-anxiety-inducing-americans.aspx
16. https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/IdentityTheftReports/TheftTypesOverTime</sup>