{"id":24009,"date":"2026-05-13T12:12:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/?page_id=24009"},"modified":"2026-05-13T12:33:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:33:13","slug":"cybercrime-report-25th","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/","title":{"rendered":"Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero.jpg\" alt=\"netgear cybercrime report 2025\" width=\"960\" height=\"480\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-24014\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><br \/>\n    <div class=\"table-of-content bg-gray 24009\">\n        <p><strong>IN THIS ARTICLE<\/strong><\/p>\n        <ul>\n                        <li><a href=\"#topic2\"><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;01&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;The scale: $20 billion and rising&nbsp;<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/li>\n                        <li><a href=\"#topic3\"><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;02&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;Investment fraud and crypto scams&nbsp;<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n                        <li><a href=\"#topic4\"><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;03&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;AI-powered threats: the scam that sounds like someone you know<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n                        <li><a href=\"#topic5\"><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;04&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;Your home router connects to bigger picture&nbsp;<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/li>\n                        <li><a href=\"#topic6\"><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;05&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;Elder fraud: the fastest-growing threat&nbsp;<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/li>\n                        <li><a href=\"#topic7\">Your 6-Step Home Security Checklist<\/a><\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n        <div id=\"topic1\" class=\"skip-item\">\n                        <p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-44\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-44\">\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">$20.9B<\/span><br \/>\nTOTAL LOSSES IN 2025<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">+26%<\/span><br \/>\nRISE FROM 2024<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">1M+<\/span><br \/>\nCOMPLAINTS FILED<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">~3,000<\/span><br \/>\nNEW COMPLAINTS DAILY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-44 from cache --><br \/>\n<i>This isn\u2019t just a story about corporations and governments getting hacked. It\u2019s about real families, real retirement savings, and real homes. The FBI received more than a million complaints last year \u2014 roughly one every 31 seconds. Total losses topped $20.8 billion, a 26% jump from the year before.<\/p>\n<p>The good news: most cybercrime is preventable. The threats are real, but so are the defenses. Here\u2019s what the data shows \u2014 and what you can do about it starting today.<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"background-color: #FBEAEA; border-left: 1em solid #C0392B; padding: 1em 1em; margin: 1em 0;margin-top:0em; margin-bottom:0em;\">\n<strong style=\"display: block; color: #C0392B; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; margin-bottom: 8px;\">THE REALITY<\/strong><span style=\"color: #C0392B;\">Losses have grown more than fivefold since 2020. What was once a $4 billion problem is now a $21 billion one \u2014 and the average victim lost $20,699. That&#8217;s a used car. A family holiday. A year of groceries.<\/span><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n        <div id=\"topic2\" class=\"skip-item\">\n                        <h2><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;01&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;The scale: $20 billion and rising&nbsp;<\/span><\/div><\/h2>\n                <p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT\u2019S HAPPENING<\/span><br \/>\nIn 2025 the FBI received 1,008,597 cybercrime complaints \u2014 roughly one every 31 seconds \u2014 with total reported losses exceeding $20.877 billion. That\u2019s a 26% jump from the previous year, and losses have grown every single year since IC3 began tracking them in 2000.<\/p>\n<p>Cyber-enabled fraud \u2014 where criminals use the internet or technology to commit fraudulent acts \u2014 accounted for 85% of all losses. The top five crime types by financial damage were investment fraud, tech support scams, personal data breaches, confidence\/romance scams, and government impersonation.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-44-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-44\">\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">$20.9B<\/span><br \/>\nTOTAL LOSSES IN 2025<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">+26%<\/span><br \/>\nRISE FROM 2024<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">1M+<\/span><br \/>\nCOMPLAINTS FILED<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">~3,000<\/span><br \/>\nNEW COMPLAINTS DAILY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-44-no-2 from cache -->\n<p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOUR HOME<\/span><br \/>\nThese numbers often get reported as corporate or government problems. In reality, the vast majority of complaints come from individuals \u2014 people checking their bank account, responding to a text, or clicking a link in what looked like a legitimate email.<br \/>\nEvery household with an internet connection is a potential target. The average loss of nearly $21,000 represents the kind of financial hit that can set a family back for years.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT YOU CAN DO<\/span><br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">1.<\/strong> Stay skeptical of urgency. Nearly every successful fraud in the report exploited manufactured urgency. Legitimate banks, government agencies, and businesses do not ask you to act immediately.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">2.<\/strong> File a report. If you or someone you know is a victim of cybercrime, report it at ic3.gov. Speed matters \u2014 the FBI\u2019s Recovery Asset Team can sometimes freeze stolen funds if they receive a report quickly.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">3.<\/strong> Visit NETGEAR\u2019s security hub for more practical guidance: netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/10-home-online-security-tips\/<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n        <div id=\"topic3\" class=\"skip-item\">\n                        <h2><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;02&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;Investment fraud and crypto scams&nbsp;<\/span><\/h2>\n                <p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT\u2019S HAPPENING<\/span><br \/>\nInvestment fraud was the single biggest source of cybercrime losses in 2025, costing Americans $8.6 billion \u2014 more than double the losses recorded just two years earlier. The vast majority of this is driven by cryptocurrency investment scams, which alone accounted for $7.2 billion.<\/p>\n<p>The playbook is consistent: a stranger makes contact through a text, social media message, dating app, or even a misdirected text that starts a \u2018friendly conversation\u2019. After building trust over days or weeks, they introduce an investment opportunity \u2014 usually cryptocurrency \u2014 promising extraordinary returns. Victims are shown fake dashboards with soaring profits. Then, when they try to withdraw their money, they\u2019re told they owe taxes or fees first. The scammer disappears with everything.<\/p>\n<p style=\"background-color: #e8f0ff; border-left: 1em solid blue; padding: 1em 1em; margin: 1em 0;margin-top:0em; margin-bottom:0em;\">\n<strong style=\"display: block; color: blue; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; margin-bottom: 8px;\">OPERATION LEVEL UP<\/strong>The FBI launched Operation Level Up specifically to intercept victims of these scams before they lose everything. In 2025 alone, the operation notified 3,780 victims and saved an estimated $225 million in potential losses. Critically, 78% of those victims had no idea they were being scammed when the FBI contacted them.<\/p>\n<p><\/br><br \/>\n<span style=\"color:blue;\">WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOUR HOME<\/span><br \/>\nThese scams don\u2019t target the gullible. They target people who are financially engaged and looking to do better for their family. The FBI\u2019s data shows every age group has been affected. The 60+ age group lost $3.5 billion to investment fraud \u2014 often retirement savings built over decades.<br \/>\nThe scammers are typically organized criminal enterprises based in Southeast Asia, using victims of human trafficking as forced labor to run operations at scale. It is an industrialized con.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT YOU CAN DO<\/span><br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">4.<\/strong> Never invest based on a tip from someone you met online, no matter how long you\u2019ve been speaking or how legitimate their platform looks.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">5.<\/strong> If you can\u2019t withdraw your money without paying a \u2018fee\u2019 first, stop. This is the final stage of a scam.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">6.<\/strong> Check whether any investment platform is registered with the SEC (sec.gov) or your state regulator before sending money.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">7.<\/strong> Report concerns to ic3.gov immediately. The faster a report is filed, the better the chance of recovering funds.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n        <div id=\"topic4\" class=\"skip-item\">\n                        <h2><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;03&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;AI-powered threats: the scam that sounds like someone you know<\/span><\/h2>\n                <p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT\u2019S HAPPENING<\/span><br \/>\nIn 2025, IC3 received over 22,000 complaints specifically referencing artificial intelligence, with losses topping $893 million. That number almost certainly understates the problem \u2014 most victims have no way of knowing AI was used against them.<br \/>\nAI technology makes scams dramatically more convincing, scalable, and personal. The same criminal operation can now maintain thousands of simultaneous fake relationships, generate professional-sounding emails impersonating your employer, or clone the voice of your grandchild.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How AI is being used against consumers:<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>\u2022 Voice cloning:<\/strong> Voice cloning (\u201cgrandparent scams\u201d)<br \/>\nAI tools can replicate someone\u2019s voice from just a few seconds of audio. Criminals use this to call older relatives claiming a loved one is in trouble and urgently needs money. Victims claimed losses of over $5 million to distress scams in 2025.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022 AI romance:<\/strong> Fake romance profiles<br \/>\nAI chatbots sustain weeks or months of convincing fake relationships, generating personalized messages at massive scale. In 2025, confidence and romance fraud cost Americans $929 million.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022 Deepfake video:<\/strong> Deepfake investment endorsements<br \/>\nAI-generated videos of celebrities, financial commentators, and trusted figures endorse fake investment platforms. Investment scams with a confirmed AI link resulted in losses over $632 million.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022 AI emails:<\/strong> Business email impersonation<br \/>\nAI generates convincing emails mimicking company CEOs, HR departments, or suppliers, directing employees to wire funds or click malicious links. Businesses reported over $30 million in losses to AI-assisted scams of this type.<\/p>\n<p style=\"background-color: #FBEAEA; border-left: 1em solid #C0392B; padding: 1em 1em; margin: 1em 0;margin-top:0em; margin-bottom:0em;\">\n<strong style=\"display: block; color: #C0392B; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; margin-bottom: 8px;\">THE RULE OF THUMB<\/strong><span style=\"color: #C0392B;\">If a call, video, or message creates a strong emotional reaction and urges you to act quickly \u2014 stop, hang up, and call the person back on a number you already know. AI-generated voices and deepfakes cannot call you back on a verified number.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/br><br \/>\n<span style=\"color:blue;\">WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOUR HOME<\/span><br \/>\nThe most dangerous aspect of AI-assisted fraud is not the technology itself \u2014 it\u2019s the erosion of trust in what we see and hear. Children are targeted through gaming platforms and social media. Older family members are targeted through phone calls that sound exactly like a grandchild in distress. The emotional manipulation is the point.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT YOU CAN DO<\/span><br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">8.<\/strong> Establish a family safe word \u2014 a code only your household knows that anyone can use to verify a genuine emergency call.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">9.<\/strong> Be skeptical of video calls where the lip movements and audio don\u2019t quite match, or where the person refuses to answer unexpected questions.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">10.<\/strong> Enable content filtering and parental controls on devices used by children. NETGEAR Orbi routers include Smart Parental Controls to help manage what children can access across your whole network.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">11.<\/strong> Read the FBI\u2019s guidance on AI fraud at ic3.gov and NETGEAR\u2019s cybersecurity awareness hub at netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybersecurity-awareness-month-2025\/<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n        <div id=\"topic5\" class=\"skip-item\">\n                        <h2><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;04&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;Your home router connects to bigger picture&nbsp;<\/span><\/div><\/h2>\n                <p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT\u2019S HAPPENING<\/span><br \/>\nOne finding in the report that surprises many people: household devices \u2014 including home routers \u2014 are actively used by cybercriminals to power large-scale attacks. This isn&#8217;t theoretical. The FBI issued multiple alerts in 2025 specifically about end-of-life routers \u2014 devices that still work for browsing but no longer receive security updates \u2014 being hijacked at scale.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-47\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-47\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th colspan=\"2\" class=\"column-1\"><h3>How a home router becomes a criminal tool:<\/h3><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">01<\/span><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Your router runs old firmware or uses a default password<br \/>\nAttackers scan millions of devices automatically, looking for known vulnerabilities and default credentials. No targeting needed \u2014 it\u2019s automated.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">02<\/span><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">The router is silently added to a botnet<br \/>\nYour internet connection is used to route malicious traffic as part of a network of tens of thousands of compromised devices worldwide.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">03<\/span><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">The botnet is rented to criminals<br \/>\nYour home\u2019s address helps launch attacks on hospitals, sends phishing emails, or masks the location of fraud operators. The IC3 report categorised botnet activity as a distinct and growing cyber threat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">04<\/span><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Every device in your home is at risk<br \/>\nOnce a router is compromised, phones, laptops, smart TVs, and smart home devices connected to it can all be exposed. Criminals can intercept logins and financial data passing through the network.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-47 from cache -->\n<p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOUR HOME<\/span><br \/>\nA router that \u2018still works\u2019 for browsing may be running software with known security holes that have never been patched. Firmware updates from the router manufacturer fix these vulnerabilities \u2014 but only if the device is still supported and updates are applied.<br \/>\nBeyond the household, running a compromised router means your home\u2019s internet address is contributing to attacks on hospitals, infrastructure, and other people. The impact is not purely personal.<\/p>\n<p>NETGEAR AND AUTOMATIC UPDATES<br \/>\nNETGEAR routers receive regular automatic firmware updates through the Orbi and Nighthawk apps, keeping your network\u2019s security layer current without requiring manual action. NETGEAR Armor, included with Orbi systems, provides an additional layer of active threat detection \u2014 blocking malicious sites and scanning for compromised devices across every connected device in your home.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT YOU CAN DO<\/span><br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">12.<\/strong> Check whether your router is still receiving firmware updates from its manufacturer. If it\u2019s more than 4\u20135 years old, it may be end-of-life.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">13.<\/strong> Enable automatic updates if your router supports them.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">14.<\/strong> Change the default admin password on your router. Factory credentials are publicly listed and scanned for by automated tools.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">15.<\/strong> Consider network-level protection such as NETGEAR Armor, which monitors all devices on your network \u2014 including smart home devices that cannot run traditional antivirus software.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n        <div id=\"topic6\" class=\"skip-item\">\n                        <h2><div><span style=\"background-color:blue;color:white\">&nbsp;05&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color:lightgrey\">&nbsp;Elder fraud: the fastest-growing threat&nbsp;<\/span><\/div><\/h2>\n                <p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT\u2019S HAPPENING<\/span><br \/>\nAmericans aged 60 and over filed 201,266 complaints in 2025 \u2014 a 37% increase from the previous year \u2014 and suffered $7.748 billion in losses, up 59%. The average loss for this age group was $38,500. More than 12,000 individuals in this group each lost over $100,000.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-46\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-46\">\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">201,266<\/span><br \/>\nCOMPLAINTS FROM 60+<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">$7.75B<\/span><br \/>\nLOSSES (60+ GROUP)<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">$38,500<\/span><br \/>\nAVERAGE LOSS<\/td><td class=\"column-4\"><span style=\"font-size:2em\">12,444<\/span><br \/>\nLOST OVER $100K EACH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-46 from cache -->\n<p>The three most costly scam types targeting this group were:<br \/>\n\u2022\tInvestment fraud: $3.5 billion in losses, including $2.76 billion via cryptocurrency investment scams<br \/>\n\u2022\tTech support scams: $1.04 billion, where criminals impersonate Microsoft, Apple, or bank support staff<br \/>\n\u2022\tGovernment impersonation: $413 million, where criminals pose as IRS agents, Social Security officers, or immigration authorities<\/p>\n<p>A NOTE ON UNREPORTED LOSSES<br \/>\nThese figures represent only what was reported. Many elder fraud victims \u2014 particularly those who feel shame, confusion, or fear \u2014 do not report what happened. The true scale is almost certainly larger.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOUR HOME<\/span><br \/>\nElder fraud is not a distant problem. It happens through phone calls, emails, and text messages \u2014 the same channels your family members use every day. The scams that target older adults are specifically engineered to feel credible: a bank call about suspicious activity, a grandchild in trouble, an IRS notice, a Medicare update.<br \/>\nThe emotional manipulation is deliberate and sophisticated. The FBI\u2019s data shows that the average elder fraud victim loses more than $38,000 \u2014 not because they were careless, but because the scam was designed by professionals to succeed.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:blue;\">WHAT YOU CAN DO<\/span><br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">16.<\/strong> Talk about it. A five-minute family conversation about these scams is one of the most effective defenses available. Awareness dramatically reduces susceptibility.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">17.<\/strong> Establish a \u2018safe word\u2019 or a rule: no one in the family sends money without calling back on a verified number first.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">18.<\/strong> Set up parental controls on shared devices, and ensure that network-level filtering is active. NETGEAR Armor blocks known malicious sites across all devices \u2014 including the devices used by older family members who may be less familiar with security risks.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">19.<\/strong> If a family member has been targeted, report it immediately at ic3.gov. Time is critical for the FBI\u2019s fund-recovery process.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"padding-left:1em;\">20.<\/strong> Report to the FBI\u2019s Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n        <div id=\"topic7\" class=\"skip-item\">\n                        <h2>Your 6-Step Home Security Checklist<\/h2>\n                <p>The good news: most successful cybercrime exploits predictable, fixable weaknesses. Here are the six steps that will make the biggest difference for your household.<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-45\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-45\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th colspan=\"2\" class=\"column-1\">Home Security Checklist<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"color:blue;\">STEP 1<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>Update your router firmware<\/strong><br \/>\nEnd-of-life routers are one of the FBI\u2019s top-named vulnerabilities. Enable automatic updates, or check your router\u2019s app regularly.<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><span style=\"color:blue;\">STEP 2<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>Change your router\u2019s admin password<\/strong><br \/>\nFactory-default credentials are publicly listed. Your router\u2019s admin password should be unique and stored somewhere safe.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"color:blue;\">STEP 3<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>Enable network-level threat protection<\/strong><br \/>\nAntivirus on your laptop doesn\u2019t protect your TV, your kids\u2019 tablet, or your smart doorbell. Network protection like NETGEAR Armor covers every connected device.<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><span style=\"color:blue;\">STEP 4<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>Pause before acting on urgency<\/strong><br \/>\nEvery major scam in the FBI report used manufactured urgency. No legitimate bank, government agency, or tech company demands immediate payment by gift card, crypto, or wire transfer.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><span style=\"color:blue;\">STEP 5<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>Use unique passwords + two-factor authentication<\/strong><br \/>\nPhishing was the most reported crime type (191,561 complaints). A password manager and two-factor authentication make stolen passwords much harder to exploit.<\/td><td class=\"column-2\"><span style=\"color:blue;\">STEP 6<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>Talk to your whole household<\/strong><br \/>\nThe people most at risk from the most financially damaging scams are often the least suspicious. A five-minute conversation can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-45 from cache -->\n<p>\tFURTHER READING<br \/>\nFor a complete guide to protecting your home network, visit NETGEAR\u2019s security hub: netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/10-home-online-security-tips\/ netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybersecurity-awareness-month-2025\/<\/p>\n<p><i>Sources: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report 2025. ic3.gov. All statistics reflect data published in the 2025 IC3 Annual Report.<br \/>\n\u00a9 2026 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.<\/i><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":24027,"parent":15275,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/blog-wifi.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":""},"class_list":["post-24009","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary - NETGEAR Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Most cybercrime is preventable. The threats are real, but so are the defenses. Here\u2019s what the data shows \u2014 and what you can do about it starting today.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary - NETGEAR Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Most cybercrime is preventable. The threats are real, but so are the defenses. Here\u2019s what the data shows \u2014 and what you can do about it starting today.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NETGEAR Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NetgearAU\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-13T19:33:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-featured.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"682\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"852\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@NETGEAR\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/cybercrime-report-25th\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/cybercrime-report-25th\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary - NETGEAR Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/cybercrime-report-25th\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/cybercrime-report-25th\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-featured.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-13T19:12:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-13T19:33:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"Most cybercrime is preventable. The threats are real, but so are the defenses. Here\u2019s what the data shows \u2014 and what you can do about it starting today.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/cybercrime-report-25th\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/cybercrime-report-25th\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/cybercrime-report-25th\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-featured.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-featured.jpg\",\"width\":682,\"height\":852,\"caption\":\"hero featured image cybercrime 2025\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/cybercrime-report-25th\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Home Networking\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Home Network Security Blogs\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/network\\\/security\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/\",\"name\":\"NETGEAR\",\"description\":\"Learn about NETGEAR Products and services\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"NETGEAR\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"NETGEAR\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.netgear.com\\\/hub\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/NetgearAU\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/NETGEAR\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/netgear\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary - NETGEAR Blog","description":"Most cybercrime is preventable. The threats are real, but so are the defenses. Here\u2019s what the data shows \u2014 and what you can do about it starting today.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary - NETGEAR Blog","og_description":"Most cybercrime is preventable. The threats are real, but so are the defenses. Here\u2019s what the data shows \u2014 and what you can do about it starting today.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/","og_site_name":"NETGEAR Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NetgearAU\/","article_modified_time":"2026-05-13T19:33:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":682,"height":852,"url":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-featured.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@NETGEAR","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/","url":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/","name":"Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary - NETGEAR Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-featured.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-13T19:12:11+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-13T19:33:13+00:00","description":"Most cybercrime is preventable. The threats are real, but so are the defenses. Here\u2019s what the data shows \u2014 and what you can do about it starting today.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-featured.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/netgear-cybercrime-hero-featured.jpg","width":682,"height":852,"caption":"hero featured image cybercrime 2025"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/cybercrime-report-25th\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Home Networking","item":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Home Network Security Blogs","item":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/network\/security\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Cybercrime Report 25th Anniversary"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/","name":"NETGEAR","description":"Learn about NETGEAR Products and services","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/#organization","name":"NETGEAR","url":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"NETGEAR"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NetgearAU\/","https:\/\/x.com\/NETGEAR","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/netgear"]}]}},"ticketed":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24009"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24042,"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24009\/revisions\/24042"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.netgear.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}