FBI: Young adults lost more than $500 million to internet crime in 2025; Chase urges students to beware of scams

The FBI reported Americans ages 20-29 reported more than $500 million in internet-crime losses in 2025, and Chase warned that students and young adults remain prime targets as they return to school.

Chase said scammers increasingly use sophisticated tools, including artificial intelligence, to impersonate people and organizations. The bank cautioned that marketplace listings, online deals and unsolicited delivery notices can lead to fraudulent websites or malware.

Chase advised students and families to buy from trusted retailers, check website URLs and use sites that begin with “https://.” The bank urged buyers to read seller reviews, meet local sellers in public places and inspect items before paying. Chase also warned that legitimate employers will not charge applicants for training, equipment or background checks and that rental listings with unusually low prices may be fraudulent.

Chase said scammers now use cloned voices, deepfake videos and spoofed phone numbers to impersonate family members, banks, law enforcement and delivery companies. The bank recommended limiting personal information on social media, making profiles private, using credit or debit cards instead of wire transfers or gift cards, and treating peer-to-peer payments like cash because they are often hard to recover.

Chase said it hosts more than 1,000 free fraud and scam prevention workshops each year and will hold a workshop for college and university students this September. For more information and tips, Chase directed readers to chase.com/scamproof.

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