It is difficult to determine the exact number of people in Mexico who are sent scam messages daily, as many go unreported, but studies indicate the problem is widespread, with most Mexican adults encountering a scam multiple times a week.
Key statistics highlight the severity of the issue:
- A recent study found that the average Mexican adult has a scam encounter approximately every four days.
- Nearly three-fifths (60%) of Mexican adults reported having experienced a scam in the last year.
- 44% of people in Mexico have experienced attempted fraud via SMS (smishing).
- Scams via fake messages in Mexico increased by 220% in the last year, with approximately 397 million phishing blocks recorded by one security firm.
These numbers indicate that a very large portion of the adult population in Mexico is frequently targeted by scam messages.
Global Stats
It’s estimated that over 150 billion spam emails are sent daily, and more than 33 million scam robocalls are made every day in the U.S. alone. In addition to calls and emails, a significant volume of spam texts and social media messages are also sent, with millions of Americans receiving at least one scam message weekly through these channels.
Daily volume of scam messages
Email: Over 150 billion spam emails are sent every day globally. Google blocks about 100 million phishing emails daily.
Phone: The U.S. receives over 33 million scam robocalls daily.
Text: USA residents alone receive over 8 billion spam texts per day.
Social Media: While a specific daily total isn’t available, roughly one-third of U.S. adults receive scam messages on social media at least weekly.
Geographic Breakdown
United States: Sends the highest number of spam emails per day (8 billion).
China: Sends the second highest number of spam emails per day (7.6 billion).
Germany and Russia: Send a high volume, with 7.3 billion emails each per day.
Impact
- A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 28% of U.S. adults receive scam emails daily, and 20% receive scam texts daily.
- A 2023 Text Em All report estimated 415,172,654 spam texts per day, which translates to over 415 million.
- In Australia, the Scamwatch website received 14,603 reports of bank impersonation scams in a single year, with many reports coming from individuals who had lost significant amounts of money.
Success Rate of Scammers
Email scams, also known as phishing scams, have become increasingly sophisticated and successful over the years. These scams use social engineering tactics to trick individuals into providing personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, or into sending money to a fraudster’s account.
The success rate of email scams can be difficult to quantify, as many victims do not report the incidents. However, several studies have estimated that phishing scams have a success rate of about 3-5% globally. This may not seem like a high number, but with billions of emails sent every day, even a small percentage of successful scams can result in a large number of victims.
One of the reasons why email scams are so successful is due to their ability to mimic trustworthy sources, such as financial institutions and government agencies. For example, a scammer may send an email claiming to be from a bank, asking the recipient to log in to their account to verify their personal information. This type of scam is known as a “spoofed” email, as the sender’s email address has been altered to appear as though it is coming from a legitimate source.
Another reason why email scams are successful is that they exploit human emotions, such as fear and urgency. For example, a scammer may send an email claiming that the recipient’s account has been compromised, and urging them to take immediate action by providing their personal information. This type of scam plays on the fear of losing access to important accounts and the urgency to rectify the situation quickly.
The rise of mobile devices and increased use of mobile email have also contributed to the success of email scams. Mobile devices have made it easier for individuals to check their email on-the-go, and scammers have taken advantage of this by sending emails that are optimized for mobile viewing. These emails often contain links that lead to fake websites, where the victim is prompted to enter their personal information.
Another factor contributing to the success of email scams is the lack of awareness and education about how to identify and avoid them. Many individuals do not know how to recognize a phishing email and are unaware of the warning signs. For example, many phishing emails contain typos and grammatical errors, which are red flags that the email may not be legitimate.
In conclusion, email scams are a significant problem and have a high success rate due to their ability to mimic trustworthy sources, exploit human emotions, take advantage of mobile devices, and the lack of awareness and education about how to identify and avoid them. It is crucial for individuals to educate themselves on how to recognize and avoid email scams and for organizations to implement security measures, such as two-factor authentication, to protect their employees and customers from falling victim to these scams.
Below is an example (in part) of one such email that was sent to 8 billion email accounts. They are requesting US$1,500, and with a 5% success rate of 400 million gullible people, this one email could have netted the sender US$600 billion. And, no, the sender does not have access to your computer. He is only betting that 5% of the recipients believe him.
Consider this message as your last warning.
We accessed your system!
We have copied all the data from your device to our own servers.
Interesting videos were recorded from your camera and your actions while watching porn. Your device was infected with our virus when you visited the porn site.
The Trojan virus gives us full access, allows us to control your device. The virus allows not only to see your screen, but also to turn on your camera, microphone, without your knowledge.
Think about what your reputation means to you and how much the consequences will be.
You have 50 hours to pay up!
