A comprehensive new study by the GSMA—titled “India Consumer Scam Report 2026: Permission Granted, Cases Still Open”—has shed light on how digital scams target Indian consumers, the platforms fraudsters use, and how victims respond. Based on a survey conducted by Milieu Insight, the report highlights the growing prevalence of cyber fraud in India’s booming digital economy.
Key Takeaways from the Report
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Most Common Scam Categories: Among those surveyed who experienced scams, online shopping scams led at 33%, closely followed by prize/lottery/inheritance scams (31%), job/income scams (30%), and QR code/payment-link scams (27%).
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Primary Delivery Channels: Scammers leverage multiple communication tools, with messaging apps leading at 42%, followed by social media (37%), email (33%), and offline QR/payment links (21%).
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The Rise of AI in Scams: A staggering 89% of Indian consumers reported seeing Artificial Intelligence utilized in scams. This includes AI-written messages (48%), fake AI images (48%), fake profiles/ads (47%), and deepfake videos of real people (42%).
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Scale of Impact: About 12% of respondents had been personally scammed in the preceding 12 months, while 39% knew someone close who had fallen victim. Consequently, 72% of consumers have altered their online behavior, and 42% believe scam risks are accelerating rapidly.
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Reporting and Recovery: Encouragingly, 86% of victims sought help from at least one organization. The most common points of contact were the police (49%), banks or e-wallet providers (41%), and the hosting platform (40%). However, 14% did not approach any organization, and 7% kept quiet entirely.
