Bitdefender has released its 2026 Global Scam Intelligence Report, which says scams now operate at scale across multiple digital channels.
The report is based on a 12-month analysis of scam activity using data from trillions of URLs, billions of messages, live advertising ecosystems, call honeypots, and direct consumer submissions, alongside a survey of 7,000 consumers worldwide.
Its findings point to broad exposure across everyday communication tools. Of the text messages analysed, 5.2% - about one in 20 - showed signs linked to scam infrastructure or coordinated fraud activity.
Voice traffic showed a similar pattern. Of nearly 150 million incoming calls examined during the reporting period, more than 23 million were classified as unwanted, meaning roughly one in six calls to protected devices was deemed fraudulent or unsolicited.
Scammers are also increasingly reaching victims through more than one platform at a time. Finance-related schemes appeared repeatedly across SMS, WhatsApp, social advertising, voice calls, and email, with investment fraud, banking phishing, and crypto-themed lures among the most common approaches.
Younger users
One of the report's more striking findings is the age split among victims. Bitdefender's survey found that 14% of consumers had fallen victim to a scam in the past year, rising to 20% among those under 35, compared with 9.7% among people aged 55 and over.
This runs against the common assumption that older internet users are more exposed to fraud. The report says younger users are now more likely to be targeted because scammers are following audiences onto social platforms, gaming environments, and messaging apps, where those age groups spend more of their time.
The figures suggest fraud campaigns are adapting to user behaviour rather than relying on a single fixed profile of a likely victim. In practice, scam operators are placing fraudulent offers, messages, and prompts in spaces that feel informal, familiar, and fast-moving.
Cross-platform model
The report describes scams as a cross-platform criminal business rather than a series of isolated attacks. It reflects a shift away from one-off phishing emails towards campaigns that move between channels, using ads, texts, calls, and social messages to reinforce the same financial lure.
The format may change depending on the service, but the underlying goal remains the same: to push someone towards a financial decision before they have time to question the message. That can include investment offers, fake banking alerts, or cryptocurrency pitches designed to create urgency.
Because these approaches are spread across several communication services, they can be harder for users to detect, especially if they trust one channel more than another. A text message or phone call can also feel more immediate than an email, increasing the pressure to respond quickly.
Bitdefender says its report differs from many scam studies because it relies on telemetry gathered while campaigns are active rather than only on post-incident surveys. The approach is intended to show how scammer behaviour develops in real time and how criminal groups adjust tactics across platforms.
Its call analysis covered more than 52 million unique phone numbers, with more than half a million flagged as unwanted. The volume suggests nuisance calls and fraud attempts are being delivered at scale, often through large pools of rotating numbers.
The message data points in a similar direction. If one in 20 texts carries signs of fraud, consumers are encountering suspicious material as part of routine digital communication rather than only in exceptional circumstances.
Ciprian Istrate, Senior Vice President of Operations, Consumer Solutions Group at Bitdefender, commented on the findings.
"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."