A report by Vanguard has identified a category of modern scams that combine multiple fraud tactics into elaborate, long-running financial schemes. These scams account for $12.5 billion in total consumer fraud losses reported in 2024, a 25% increase over the previous year. The number of fraud reports remained at 2.6 million, but far more of those victims actually lost real money. Fraud losses surged 25% in 2024 as scammers refined their playbook. Investment scams accounted for $5.7 billion in reported losses, a 24% increase from 2023. The report also highlighted the growing category of crossover scams, where fraudsters combine multiple common techniques into a single scheme. The first crossover scam involves an unsolicited pop-up, phishing email, or social media message claiming that your computer has been compromised, followed by an impersonator pretending to be an FBI agent or Treasury Department official to move money to a new, secure account to prevent unauthorized access to funds. The second most common scam involves impersonating banks, government agencies, and well-known companies.