Romance scams, financial fraud, account takeover, crypto scams, and phishing.
138 articles across 5 topics
A California mom says she was scammed out of thousands of dollars this month after receiving a call that sounded like her daughter in distress. She now suspects it was an artificial intelligence-generated hoax.
Online crime complaints surpassed 1 million for the first time last year, driven by a spike in AI-enabled fraud, crypto scams, and phishing attacks.
An East Bay mother recently answered a call from an unknown number, which turned out to be scammers using AI and deepfake technology to sound like her daughter, whom they said had been kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel — part of a growing trend of scams.
Korea's Supreme Prosecutors' Office is developing an integrated deep voice detection system by end-2027 to combat AI-generated audio used in voice phishing, romance scams, and fake news.
Scams, impersonation, and social engineering are changing consumer fraud patterns in payment systems and online transactions.
Deepfake fraud is turning AI into a mass scam weapon. Here’s why voice cloning and AI impersonation attacks are becoming one of the biggest cybersecurity threats.
AI voice cloning scams are exploding in 2026, with victims losing up to $15,000 after hearing fake calls from “family members.”
A finance employee at a multinational firm joined what appeared to be a routine video call. The CFO was on screen. So were several colleagues. The meeting
AI Voice Cloning Is Breaking Bank Security — Here Is What the Evidence Actually Shows. Synthetic audio fraud is a genuine and rapidly escalating threat to financial institutions worldwide. But viral claims of "30 banks collapsing" and Goldman Sachs abandoning digital signatures lack any ...
If it feels like it's getting harder and harder to avoid being scammed, that's because it is. In the age of artificial intelligence, scammers are using voice cloning that can sound very real, and seniors are often the target. Paul Solman reports on the problem and what you can do to protect ...
AI scam calls have reached record levels in the US, with criminals using voice-cloning tools to impersonate airlines, hotels, banks, and travel agents, costing Americans $12.5 billion in 2024 and making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent calls.
FTC says imposter scams hit $3.5B in 2025. Voice-cloning tools now need just 3 seconds of audio to fake a familiar voice. Here's what to watch.
AI can now mimic a familiar voice in seconds, making scam calls harder to spot.
AI voice vishing scams are surging, using automated calls and voice cloning. Experts warn businesses to verify, protect MFA, and train staff.
Attackers are using deepfakes and AI-generated audio/video to create synthetic media that impersonates executives, clinicians, or vendors.
By Marshall Bennett, Researcher at Adaptive Security In March 2025, a finance director at a multinational firm in Singa
OpenAI made the perfect tool for scammers. ... Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Getty. ... Updated at 4:34 p.m. ET on May 2, 2026
Generative AI-enabled fraud surged 1,210% in 2025 per Vectra AI’s March 2026 analysis, and projected losses from AI-facilitated fraud in the United States alone are forecast to reach $40 billion by 2027 per Javelin Strategy & Research and AiPrise. This article compiles the most current, rigorously verified AI fraud statistics for 2026 — from deepfake scams and voice ...
Three seconds of audio is all it takes to clone a voice for fraud. Adaptive Security shows how deepfake calls trick employees into sending real money—and why most defenses don't catch them.
If something feels off, don’t dismiss it as someone acting weird online — romance scammers can get around Tinder’s FaceCheck feature with creative use of AI tools.
Cybersecurity researchers warn scammers can clone voices in seconds and use fake emergency calls to steal money from victims.
One woman's entire life savings was stolen from her by sophisticated scammers who used artificial intelligence to perfectly manipulate her.
Victims lost $893 million to AI-related scams in 2025, a figure that underscores how quickly synthetic media is being absorbed into familiar fraud schemes.
Scammers use voice cloning and deepfakes to fool their victims. Here's what you need to know to verify what's real.
Only 22% of financial institutions have implemented AI-based fraud prevention tools. (Signicat) Biometric authentication systems endure three times fewer fraudulent attempts than document-based systems. (Keepnet) Gartner predicts that by 2026, 30% of enterprises will no longer rely solely on identity verification to prevent fraud. (Keepnet) Public Struggles With Deepfakes And Voice Cloning Detection · Human detection rates for high-quality video deepfakes are just 24.5%. (Keepnet) A 2025 ...
Discover how AI voice deepfake vishing exploits trust, drains millions, and learn practical steps to detect and stop voice‑based scams.
An employee saw the CFO on video. Heard colleagues speaking. Authorized $25M in transfers. Every person was an AI-generated deepfake. Identity verification is broken.
Global scam losses have surged to an estimated $442 billion in the past 12 months according to the latest data in Vyntra’s newly released 2026 fraud trends report
The Sawyers from Australia were never really interested in volatile investing. As their retirement age approached, the idea of a low-risk investment for their pension seemed attractive. But one day, after clicking on a seemingly legitimate online advert that offered a reasonable risk-averse ...
: Interpol says fraud schemes using the tech are 4.5x more profitable
In 2025, global financial fraud skyrocketed to a staggering USD 442 billion, with Interpols latest findings highlighting a disturbing trend: cybercriminals are leveraging sophisticated AI technologies. With fraud now yielding 4.5 times greater returns, deepfake audio has emerged as a common ...
Dozens of Telegram channels reviewed by WIRED include job listings for “AI face models.” The (mostly) women who land these gigs are likely being used to dupe victims out of their money.
Americans demand carriers take responsibility for protection
Why did AI fraud spike 1,200% in 2025? Memory constraints fell, latency dropped below 1.2 seconds and sustained impersonation scaled.
Fraud across the United Kingdom reached unprecedented levels in 2025, with reported incidents rising to a record 444,000 cases, highlighting the growing impact of artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated cybercriminal networks. The figures were revealed in the latest annual Fraudscape ...
Investment scams, including those targeting cryptocurrency and stock market participants, have become the single most commonly reported form of authorized push payment (APP) fraud, outpacing every ...
Originally published The Women’s Tech & Telecom Partnership’s 2026 edition of “The Impact Report“ Equipping Americans on the Digital Front Lines to Fight Back in the Agentic Era. A recent news report detailed the experience of Abigail, a woman living in Southern California.
AI-enabled cybercrime cost Americans $16.6 billion in 2024, up 33% in one year. Deepfakes, voice cloning, and LLM-powered scams are outpacing defenses.
Deepfake and continuous identity protection programs must therefore be framed not as experimental controls, but as ROI-driven investments.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning residents about scams that use artificial intelligence to impersonate loved ones and steal money.
Deepfake fraud drained $1.1 billion from U.S. corporate accounts in 2025, tripling from $360 million the year before. By midyear
A new study from Abertay University reveals that the most effective way to protect people from AI voice scams is not through traditional warning messages, but by educating them about how advanced and authentic AI voices have become. Published in the Journal of Cybersecurity, the study provides ...
The boss of the Bombay Stock Exchange was recently targeted in what is a growing global problem.
The threat of the AI voice deepfake has become mainstream with one in four Americans having received such a call in the last year. Perhaps more worrying 24
2025 AI-driven crypto scams up about 500%: what the data showsAI-enabled crypto fraud escalated sharply across 2025. Based on data from TRM Labs,
New research finds AI-powered fraud is outpacing mobile network operator defenses, pushing consumer frustration to a breaking point where 38% are ready to switch providers.SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#AI--Hiya, the global leader in trusted voice solutio...
HealthEquity reports 90%+ reduction in voice fraud after deploying real-time AI fraud detection and passive authentication...
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission warned that it has seen a “big wave” of phone scams in which fraudsters claim to be from the IRS.
Global losses from deepfake-enabled fraud reached over $200 million in Q1 2025 alone.
Cybersecurity experts reveal how AI-generated messages and fake sites are scamming travelers, and the red flags to watch.
As deepfakes become increasingly sophisticated, the sheer amount of money being lost to online scams piled up in 2025.
Valentine’s season used to bring a predictable spike in romance scams: fake dating profiles, emotional manipulation, and requests for urgent financial help. The 2026 version looks far more convincing. Artificial intelligence (AI) now allows scammers to create realistic voices and lifelike ...
Is deepfake voice fraud the biggest threat contact centers will face in 2026? How do you survive the voice trust collapse?
AI content for scams can be targeted at individuals and ‘produced by pretty much anybody’, researchers say
As governments seek to ban the machines, bitcoin ATMs remain entwined with cryptocurrency industry's most mainstream players.
The FBI says Americans have lost over $388 million last year to scams using cryptocurrency kiosks, also known as crypto
Scammers pose as Web3 recruiters offering high-paying remote roles. One "verification tool" install can drain a wallet in minutes. CZ saw it. Here's how the attack actually works.
Chainlink (LINK) Price Prediction 2026–2030: Can LINK Reach $100? FDIC tightens compliance rules for stablecoin issuers under Bank Secrecy Act ... The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported a sharp escalation in cryptocurrency ATM-related fraud, with losses exceeding $388 million in 2025. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the agency received over 13,400 complaints linked to crypto ATM scams ...
The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report puts a number on a fraud category that has eaten through retirement accounts at hardware store kiosks. The mechanism is older than crypto. The losses are growing 58% a year. On May 20, 2026, The Record from Recorded Future News reported the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center figures broken out by state. Texas reported the most cryptocurrency ...
Myanmar's new Anti-Online Fraud Bill targets digital currency scams, imposing severe penalties, including the death penalty, to combat rising fraud threats.
The FBI says Americans have lost over $388 million last year to scams using cryptocurrency kiosks, also known as crypto ATMs or Bitcoin ATMs.
After a year of kidnappings, assaults and armed home invasions targeting cryptocurrency holders, the industry is racing to harden its defenses.
Cryptocurrency's public blockchain feature is turning out to be one of its key weaknesses when it comes to physical protection.
Three men have been indicted over an alleged cryptocurrency scheme that involved assaulting unsuspecting residents, holding them hostage and demanding access to their crypto accounts.
Binance says its AI-powered security systems have blocked more than $10.5 billion in potential fraud losses since early 2025, with the exchange intercepting nearly 23 million phishing attempts in the first quarter of 2026 alone, as the cost of launching AI-assisted crypto attacks falls to as ...
Binance reported that its AI-powered security systems helped prevent $10.53 billion in potential user losses from early 2025 through Q1 2026. Google identified a zero-day exploit that it believes was developed with AI. Chainalysis estimated that crypto scams and fraud stole $17 billion in 2025.
Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at · Cyberguy.com. THE ONE THING SCAMMERS CHECK BEFORE TARGETING YOU ONLINE · Meta said it removed more than 159 million scam ads in 2025 and helped investigators track networks tied to cryptocurrency fraud...
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, said Monday that its AI-driven security systems prevented more than $10.5 billion in user losses between the start of 2025 through the first quarter of 2026, as fraudsters increasingly weaponize the same technology to launch attacks at unprecedented scale and speed. The exchange said its systems intercepted 22.9 million scam ...
Global crackdown arrests 276 suspects in crypto scams, saving $562M via FBI alerts, disrupting fraud networks targeting thousands.
On April 7, 2026, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center released its 2025 Annual Report. The headline figure carried enough weight to make you pause. In
A joint international operation involving U.S. and Chinese authorities arrested at least 276 suspects and shut down nine cryptocurrency investment fraud centers.
Montanans lost a record $53 million to cyber crime last year, according to new FBI data. A “drastic increase and change” in cryptocurrency-related investment and fraud is driving it, an FBI official said.
The U.S. government launched a crackdown on Southeast Asian crypto scam centers, resulting in new OFAC sanctions and over $700 million in restrained funds.
Crypto scam losses hit an estimated ... scams. The Bybit hack in February 2025 resulted in $1.5 billion stolen, the largest single crypto theft in history. The crypto security market reached $6.79 billion in 2026, projected to grow to $26.92 billion by 2032. Carnegie Mellon researchers identified 270 million address poisoning attempts targeting 17 million potential victims. The FBI logged 181,565 cryptocurrency-related fraud complaints ...
A global crackdown on crypto scams froze $12 millions and traced $45 millions in losses, identifying over 20,000 victims.
The FBI’s IC3 2025 report shows cybercrime losses nearing $21 billion, driven by a surge in cryptocurrency investment scams and pig butchering romance fraud.
: Cops bust latest scam, return $12m to bilked victims
Crypto ATM scams surge with $333M in losses, as a new bill proposes a $2,000 daily cap and 30-day refund window to protect users.
The UK government has sanctioned Xinbi, described as “the second-largest illicit online marketplace ever”
Blockchain security firm CertiK reports that crypto losses have reached about $480 million in 2026 so far, with 103 security incidents and 36 phishing scams recorded.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said over $160 billion was lost to crypto-related crimes globally in 2025, urging stronger action.
Crypto crime is soaring, according to new numbers from the FBI. It includes investment scams, romance scams and more. Tracking down money that moves as fast as lightning is challenging for investigators and bad news for victims who want their money back.
The Telegram-based Xinbi Guarantee black market sells services that help prop up scam operations. British officials just hit the highly lucrative marketplace with sweeping sanctions.
The FBI's New York Field Office ... 19, 2026, alerting cryptocurrency users to a coordinated phishing campaign exploiting the Tron (TRC-20) blockchain. ... Fraudsters are airdropping fake FBI-branded TRC-20 tokens to pressure victims into handing over personal data · At least 728 wallets were hit within eight days; several held over $1 million in assets · Impersonation crypto scams surged 1,400% year-over-year in 2025, contributing ...
AI chatbots and large language ... to cryptocurrency intelligence firm Chainalysis. In 2025, about 0% of all inflows into scammers' crypto wallets came from AI-powered scams · Source: Compiled by MIT Technology Review Insights, based on data from Chainalysis, 2026...
Despite the decline in tracked losses, scam operations have grown increasingly industrialized, according to a Chainalysis report on phishing-as-a-service networks. The China-based "Smishing Triad" group, also known as "Darcula," operated a phishing kit vendor called Lighthouse that received over 7,000 cryptocurrency deposits and amassed more than $1.5 million over three years, the report said, citing a Google lawsuit filed in November 2025. Best crypto cards with token rewards in 2026 ...
Crypto ATMs’ minimal verification and fast transactions let criminals turn cash into digital assets in minutes, often before victims notice.
U.S. Treasury sanctions massive $800M crypto fraud.
Financial losses tied to crypto ATM scams reached $333.5 million in 2025....
Crypto ATM fraud hit $333M in 2025 as FBI complaints rose 33%, with scammers using AI deepfakes and organized networks.
Crypto atm fraud has evolved into a billion-dollar global crime; this briefing explains how kiosks, CAS logs, and enforcement shape threat.
Blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis argued that crypto’s transparency creates a “powerful flywheel” of fraud disruption.
Illicit cryptocurrency activity surged to a record $154 billion in 2025, driven largely by a sharp increase in sanctions evasion by nation-states using blockchain networks, according to a new report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
Strong connections to East and ... operate scams. Law enforcement made record-breaking seizures, including a 61,000 bitcoin recovery in the UK and a $15 billion seizure linked to the Prince Group criminal organization, showing improved capability to combat crypto fraud. ... In 2025, cryptocurrency scams received ...
Illicit cryptocurrency flows 2025 $158 billion: what’s included, crypto sanctions evasion networksaccording to trm labs, illicit cryptocurrency flows 2025
February 2026 ended with the lowest recorded figure in monthly losses from cryptocurrency scams since March 2025 at $37.7 million, despite address
Crypto fraud shop volumes declined from roughly $200 million to $87 million, while darknet markets remain resilient and increasingly interconnected.
Indonesia has been on the radar of telecom-fraud operators for more than a decade Read more at The Business Times.
Chinese officials confirmed the country's collaboration in an operation that resulted in the arrest of 276 suspects.
A broad international crackdown on pig butchering cryptocurrency scams has resulted in at least 276 arrests and the shutdown of nine scam centers.
Also Read: NCA Operation Atlantic Freezes $12M in Crypto Scam Cases · A month later, the DOJ unsealed the most operationally aggressive pig-butchering action to date. The Scam Center Strike Force, a unit established in 2025 by the DOJ, FBI, and Secret Service to target Southeast Asian cryptocurrency-related fraud...
From Operation Atlantic to the 276 Dubai arrests, 2026 has been a turning point against pig-butchering. But the laundering machine is bigger than any bust.
A transnational investigation into cryptocurrency fraud netted more than 275 arrests, including six people who are now facing charges in San Diego.
Unprecedented cooperation between the FBI, Dubai Police Department, and Chinese Ministry of Public Security has resulted in the arrest of at least 276 individuals and the dismantlement of at least nine scam centers used for cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes.
Authorities have alerted nearly 9,000 potential victims and prevented an estimated $562 million in losses as part of ongoing efforts to combat cryptocurrency fraud, while a new global operation has...
Pig butchering scams are so prolific ... in 2024. The FBI Internet Crime Report reported that in the US alone, complaint losses attributed to confidence and romance frauds exceeded $929M in 2025....
The FBI has identified investment scams as the largest contributor to reported financial losses, with cryptocurrency-related cases forming a significant portion.
Britain on Thursday sanctioned the operators of what it described as the largest fraud compound in Cambodia and an online crypto marketplace used to trade stolen personal data, in a bid to protect people in the UK from organised online scams.
In foreigner butchering, gangs deliberately steer clear of targeting Chinese people to avoid Beijing’s ire. Read more at straitstimes.com.
SINGAPORE — The United States is increasingly concerned at the emergence of “foreigner butchering” scams allegedly being run from China, adding another potential wrinkle to President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Xi Jinping in the coming months.
Victims worldwide were lured through ... bogus crypto investments that funneled billions into Chen Zhi connected wallets. ... Cambodian police arrested Prince Holding Group Chairman Chen Zhi on January 6, 2026; he was extradited to Beijing the next day after his Cambodian citizenship was revoked, thwarting U.S. extradition efforts. In October 2025, the DOJ seized 127,271 BTC (≈$15B then, lower now) from wallets linked to Chen’s alleged “pig butchering” scams, marking the ...
Sophisticated crime groups based in south-east Asia are stealing billions of dollars from victims each year.
The U.S. DoJ seized $61 million in Tether tied to pig butchering crypto investment scams, while Tether reports freezing $4.2 billion in illicit assets
It was Nextdoor where I met the AI-wielding, pig butchering scammer who attempted to build an emotional connection.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has assembled more than 20 federal and state agencies for a coordinated push against relationship investment scams, timing the campaign around Valent...
Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii residents reported some of the highest monetary losses to scams.
An international anti-scam operation has resulted in 3,018 arrests after investigators linked suspects to about $752 million in losses.
User advocacy groups have criticised major platforms for failing to act effectively against financial scam ads, leaving millions of users exposed despite EU regulatory requirements.
According to the FTC, fraud losses hit $15.9 billion in 2025. Imposter scams led in sheer number of reports, but investment scams caused the steepest financial damage.
In late 2025 and early 2026, cybersecurity researchers identified a massive campaign in which scam factories created over 17,000 “baiting” news sites. (BaitTrap: Over 17,000 Fake News Websites Caught Fueling Investment Fraud Globally, 2025) These sites perfectly mimicked the branding of ...
FTC report reveals Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp scams drove $2.1 billion in losses as investment, shopping, and romance fraud surged.
Identity fraud losses declined in 2025, but new account fraud surged and scams eroded consumer trust, signaling a shift in fraud risk....
The 'scam economy' keeps growing, as fraudsters steal money through wire transfers, gift cards, payment apps and cryptocurrency.
Canadians have lost $704 million in 2025 to fraud, a significant jump from the $645 million lost in 2024. See the CAFC’s top 10 list of scams and learn why most victims don’t report.
In brief In a new Fraud Strategy 2026 to 2029 document, the UK government has highlighted the “growing risk” posed by cryptocurrency. | Bitget crypto news!
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose and
Dubai, UAE, February 27th, 2026, Chainwire. Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, today revealed the comprehensive results of its 2025 Security Initiative. Bybit has implemented an industry-leading, multi-layered d...
The global exchange is deepening its safety tech stack alongside its longstanding partner in compliance.
: Victims losing £280K a day to fake profiles and sob stories
Five major U.S. banks are engaging in costly litigation rather than reimburse fraud claims of a 72-year-old dementia patient who lost $337,000 in a romance scam. The victim's lawyer says banks are not abiding by the consumer protection process.
Scammers are increasingly employing AI tools in romance scams, making these campaigns even harder to detect and therefore even more dangerous for targets.
FBI data shows Bay Area romance-scam losses hit $43.3M in 2025, with SF surging by 900%.