The Email Scam Problem
The email scam problem, by the numbers
Modern spam filters are excellent. But the messages that remain can still require a human decision — and one convincing scam can cause devastating harm.
Filters stop almost everything
The problem is not that email filters do nothing. They prevent billions of unwanted and dangerous messages from reaching people every day. But no automated system can make every decision for the recipient.
99.9%+
Blocked by Gmail
Gmail reports blocking more than 99.9% of spam, phishing, and malware before it reaches the inbox.
Source: Google — Gmail Security
~15B
Blocked every day
Google reports blocking nearly 15 billion unwanted emails every day through Gmail alone.
<60 sec
Time to fall for phishing
In security-awareness simulations, the median time from opening a phishing email to clicking and entering information was under one minute.
Filters answer the first question: “Should this message reach the inbox?” But once a questionable message arrives, the recipient must still decide whether to click, reply, send money, or provide personal information.
Older adults face a confidence gap
Older adults are frequently exposed to scams and want to protect themselves, but many remain uncertain about recognizing one.
75%
Experienced a scam attempt
Three in four adults ages 50–80 reported experiencing a scam attempt by phone, text, email, mail, or online during the previous two years.
Source: University of Michigan — National Poll on Healthy Aging
57%
Not confident spotting scams
More than half of adults ages 50–80 expressed uncertainty about their ability to recognize a scam.
Source: University of Michigan — National Poll on Healthy Aging
83%
Want more protection
Eighty-three percent said they wanted to know more about how to protect themselves from scams.
Source: University of Michigan — National Poll on Healthy Aging
The financial consequences are growing
The FBI’s 2025 figures cover complaints submitted by Americans age 60 and older. These are reported losses only, so they do not capture every victim or every dollar lost.
201,266
Complaints in 2025
Americans age 60 and older submitted more than 201,000 internet-crime complaints to the FBI in 2025.
Source: FBI — 2025 Internet Crime Report
$7.75B
Reported losses
Americans age 60 and older reported losing approximately $7.75 billion to internet crime in 2025.
Source: FBI — 2025 Internet Crime Report
$38,500
Average reported loss
The FBI reported an average loss of $38,500 for each complaint submitted by someone age 60 or older.
Source: FBI — 2025 Internet Crime Report
12,444
Lost more than $100,000
More than 12,000 complainants age 60 and older reported losses exceeding $100,000 in 2025.
Source: FBI — 2025 Internet Crime Report
+59%
Increase in losses
Reported losses among people age 60 and older increased 59% from 2024 to 2025.
Source: FBI — 2025 Internet Crime Report
Where SpamCheck fits
SpamCheck is a second layer of protection for the messages that require human judgment.
Email filters decide whether a message appears suspicious before it reaches the inbox. SpamCheck helps a person decide what to do after a questionable email gets through — privately, simply, and without having to ask a family member.
Step 1
Email Filter
Blocks the vast majority of threats
Step 2
Questionable Email
A message still requires a decision
Step 3
SpamCheck
A clear, calm answer before the recipient acts
Before you click, check.
Forward any suspicious email to SpamCheck and get a clear, calm answer.
Sources and methodology
Figures on this page come from reports published by Google, Verizon, the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. FBI figures represent complaints and losses reported to IC3, not an estimate of all fraud. Scam-attempt statistics include multiple communication channels and are not limited to email.
- 1.Google — Scam and Fraud Protection
- 2.Verizon — 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report
- 3.University of Michigan — Experiences with Scams Among Older Adults
- 4.FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — 2025 Internet Crime Report
Figures reflect the most recent public data available when this page was updated.