SC Consumers Report Losses of Nearly $8.5 Million to Scams and ID Theft in 2025

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Scams and identity theft cost South Carolina consumers nearly $8.5 million in 2025, according to SCDCA’s annual Identity Theft and Scams Report. The newly released report includes insights into the types of ID theft/scams reported to SCDCA and how victims were targeted. Some of the highlights include:

Identity Theft

• The 2026 report contains information from 667 reports of identity theft reported from January 1 to December 31, 2025. The sum of actual losses to the consumer resulting from identity theft was $2,788,307.
• The top three types of identity theft were: Financial (60.42%), Government (21.74%) and Medical (2.85%).
• Top three ways consumers discovered they were identity theft victims: Credit Report (22.19%), Bank Notice (10.94%) and Business Notification (7.20%).

Scams

• The report contains information from 525 scams reported. The sum of actual losses reported was $5,685,240.
• The top three types of scams were: Purchase (12.19%), Service/Repair (10.67%) and Debt Collection (8.76%).
• Sixty percent of consumers who reported scams were contacted by phone.

The 2026 Identity Theft and Scams Report is available for download on the SCDCA Reports webpage. Consumers are encouraged to report scams or identity theft by calling (800) 922-1594 or visiting consumer.sc.gov and click the How Do I… button, then Report a Scam or Report Identity Theft. In 2025 alone, SCDCA mailed 15,495 packets of information to potential identity theft victims, providing guidance on recommended actions for their situation and offering one-on-one assistance.

SCDCA will offer a free webinar to go over the 2026 Identity Theft and Scam Report on Wednesday, February 25 at 10:30 a.m. Register here to watch/listen from any computer or smartphone.

SCDCA offers a variety of free resources to help consumers spot and avoid scams including free webinars every Wednesday, free in-person presentations across the state, free brochures and email updates. Download Ditch the Pitch, SCDCA's guide to guarding against scams for more information on how to spot a scam. 

About SCDCA

Established in 1974, DCA has more than fifty years of experience in protecting South Carolina consumers while recognizing those businesses that act honestly and fairly. Cultivating a marketplace comprised of well-informed consumers and businesses prevents deceptive and unfair business practices, allows legitimate business activity to flourish, resulting in the promotion of competition and a healthier economy.

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