Online shopping, job and lottery scams in India 2026: 67% of victims recover no money, survey finds

Nearly 67% of Indian scam victims who lost money recovered nothing, while 33% of reported cases remain unresolved. From online shopping fraud to AI-enabled scams, here's what the findings reveal and what consumers need to know.

Indian consumers are increasingly reporting online scams, but getting their money back remains a challenge. While 86% of scam victims approached at least one organization for help, 33% of reported cases remain unresolved, and 67% of victims who lost money recovered nothing, according to GSMA's India Consumer Scam Report 2026.

The report draws on an online survey conducted by Milieu Insight between 29 July and 3 August 2026. 12% of Indian consumers said they had been scammed in the last 12 months, while another 39% had not been scammed themselves but had seen someone close to them fall victim to scams.

The findings highlight a gap between consumers reporting fraud and institutions delivering resolution.

Which scams are affecting Indian consumers most?

Online shopping scams were the most commonly reported type, accounting for 33% of scams experienced by Indian victims. Prize, lottery and inheritance scams accounted for 31%, while job or income scams accounted for 30%.

Scams involving QR codes or payment links accounted for 27% of reported scam types. Messaging apps were the most common route through which scams reached victims, at 42%, followed by social media at 37% and email at 33%.

The report also found widespread exposure to artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled scams. 89% of Indian consumers said they had seen AI being used in scams. AI-written messages and fake AI-generated images were each recognized by 48% of respondents, while 42% had seen deepfake videos of real people.