Bitdefender has released its 2026 Global Scam Intelligence Report, outlining how online scams are increasingly operating across multiple channels and at what it describes as industrial scale.
The report, based on a 12-month analysis, draws on telemetry including trillions of URLs, billions of messages, live advertising ecosystems, call honeypots and consumer submissions, alongside a separate survey of 7,000 consumers cited in the release.
According to the company, its consumer survey found 14% of respondents—about one in seven—reported falling victim to a scam in the past year. The release also cites an external “Global State of Scams” report which it says estimated global scam losses at nearly half a billion US dollars in 2025.
Bitdefender’s report claims scam activity is visible across common communications channels. It said analysis of SMS traffic found 5.2% of messages reviewed—around one in 20—showed characteristics consistent with scam infrastructure or coordinated fraud activity. In voice, the company said it analysed nearly 150 million incoming calls to protected devices and classified more than 23 million as unwanted, equating to about one in six calls being flagged as fraudulent or unsolicited.
The report also argues that younger consumers are disproportionately affected. Bitdefender said those under 35 were twice as likely to fall victim to scams as people aged 55 and older, citing victimisation rates of 20% compared with 9.7%.
Finance-related scams were described as the most persistent theme across channels, with the company pointing to investment fraud, banking phishing and crypto-themed lures appearing across SMS, social ads, WhatsApp, voice calls and email.
“The rapid growth and sophistication of online scams has made it increasingly difficult for consumers to protect their digital lives,” said Ciprian Istrate, senior vice president of operations, Consumer Solutions Group at Bitdefender. “While the term ‘scam’ may sound harmless, the consequences are anything but — often resulting in identity theft, financial loss, and data exposure. This report reflects our ongoing commitment to understanding threats at a global scale, and to ensuring our customers have the intelligence and tools they need to stay protected as the threat landscape continues to evolve.”
You can read the full report here.
