91% of Americans have been targeted by a scam, and 17% have fallen victim to one, according to a new survey by Consumer Reports. Notably, 20% of respondents said the latest scam they encountered was personalized, indicating that attackers are increasingly using automation and public or leaked information to craft targeted phishing attacks.
“In an era of data breaches and AI tools, one in five consumers who had encountered any scam attempts (20%) reported that the most recent scam attempt they encountered was customized using their personal details, according to the March/April survey,” Consumer Reports says. “This was most common with scams that began via phone calls; a third of people who said the most recent scam attempt they encountered began on the phone (32%) said it was somehow personalized to them.”
Phil Radford, President and CEO of Consumer Reports, stated, “Nine in ten Americans have been targeted by a scam or cyberattack. That’s not a statistic, that’s almost everyone we serve. AI is making fraud faster, cheaper, and more personal, and no one can outsmart that alone. Companies need to be held accountable. Governments need real guardrails. That’s the bar we’re setting – for ourselves and for them.”
An increasing number of respondents are following recommended security measures, but these numbers are still relatively low. Attackers only need to succeed once in order to compromise an organization. “CR’s nationally representative March/April 2026 survey shows that consumers are attempting to protect themselves through actions like inspecting links in texts and emails before clicking (69%), using multi-factor authentication (60%), and turning on automatic software updates (48%), among other things.”
Consumer Reports has the story: https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2026/10/new-study-by-consumer-reports-reveals-9-in-10-americans-targeted-by-a-cyberattack-or-digital-scam-attempt/
