12 Per Cent Of Indian Respondents Scammed In Past Year: GSMA

The growing use of messaging apps, social media and artificial intelligence has added new challenges for consumers trying to identify online scams. According to the GSMA India Consumer Scam Report 2026, 12 per cent of respondents surveyed in India said they had been scammed in the past 12 months, up from 10 per cent in the 2025 edition, a rise of 2 per cent.

Also, the latest figure was higher than the 8 per cent recorded among respondents across ASEAN-6, comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Online shopping scams were the most common type reported in India, accounting for 33 per cent of cases. Prize, lottery, and inheritance scams followed at 31 per cent, while job or income scams accounted for 30 per cent. Scams involving QR codes or payment links made up 27 per cent of cases, compared with 18 per cent across ASEAN-6.

Messaging Apps Lead Scam Channels As AI Use Spreads

Messaging apps were involved in 42 per cent of scams reported by Indian victims, followed by social media at 37 per cent. Email was involved in 33 per cent of cases, compared with 17 per cent across ASEAN-6.

The report also found that 89 per cent of Indian consumers had seen artificial intelligence (AI) used in scams. AI-written messages and fake AI-generated images were each identified by 48 per cent of respondents, followed by fake AI profiles or advertisements at 47 per cent and deepfake videos at 42 per cent.

How Are Scams Changing Consumer Behaviour?

The impact extends beyond those directly scammed. The report found that 72 per cent of Indian consumers had changed their behaviour because of scams, while 75 per cent were very concerned about the privacy of their personal data online.

Consumers reported taking precautions, including installing or upgrading security tools and calling companies back on official numbers rather than trusting incoming calls or messages. However, only 49 per cent had strengthened their account security, compared with 58 per cent across ASEAN-6.

Meanwhile, 27 per cent said they called companies back on official numbers, and 61 per cent avoided some forms of inbound contact or online transactions because of scam concerns. Awareness of scam education and protection programmes was also relatively high. Some 72 per cent of consumers were aware of programmes run by four or more of the six groups covered by the study, compared with 62 per cent across ASEAN-6.

Are Reported Scam Cases Being Resolved?

Most victims reported scams to an organisation. The report found that 86 per cent of Indian victims took their cases to an organisation, compared with 69 per cent across ASEAN-6. An organisation took responsibility in 65 per cent of reported cases, while 33 per cent remained unresolved.

Financial recovery remained a concern. Among victims who lost money, 33 per cent recovered some or all of it, compared with 18 per cent across ASEAN-6. The remaining 67 per cent recovered nothing.

Are Consumers Comfortable With Institutions Using Their Data?

Despite these concerns, Indian consumers were broadly comfortable with institutions holding and using their data to detect fraud. Some 87 per cent were comfortable with their bank or financial provider doing so, followed by the government at 82 per cent, mobile operators at 81 per cent and digital platforms at 73 per cent.

The report called for better coordination between organisations handling complaints, stronger mechanisms to return money to victims and greater transparency from government and police on case resolution and financial recovery.

The findings are based on a survey of 500 respondents in India conducted for the GSMA India Consumer Scam Report 2026.