7 AI Scams to Watch Out for in 2026 — And How to Protect Yourself

By CyberScape Insights

Artificial intelligence is making everyday technology faster and more useful—but scammers

are using the same technology to make fraud much harder to recognize.

A scam email may now be perfectly written. A phone call can sound like someone you know. A video can appear to show a real person saying something they never said. Even fake online stores, customer-service representatives, and social-media profiles can look surprisingly convincing.

The problem has become significant. According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, more than 22,000 complaints involving artificial intelligence were reported, with losses exceeding $893 million.

A 2026 Malwarebytes study also found that 85% of surveyed consumers said scams are becoming difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications, and half reported encountering some form of AI-driven scam.

The good news is that you don't need to be a cybersecurity expert to protect yourself.

Here are seven AI-powered scams you should know about in 2026—and the simple steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim.

1. AI Voice-Cloning Scams

Imagine receiving a phone call from your child, grandchild, spouse, or close friend.

They sound frightened.

They tell you they've been arrested, injured, kidnapped, stranded somewhere, or desperately need money.

There's just one problem:

The person on the phone may not actually be them.

Artificial intelligence can now imitate someone's voice using recordings collected from videos, voicemail greetings, social-media posts, podcasts, or other publicly available audio.

The FBI has specifically warned that criminals can use voice cloning to impersonate family members, friends, executives, and other trusted individuals.

Warning signs

Be suspicious if the caller:

• Demands money immediately.

• Tells you not to contact anyone else.

• Requests payment using gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or unusual payment methods.

• Calls from an unfamiliar number.

• Creates an emergency that prevents you from thinking clearly.

How to protect yourself

If someone you know suddenly calls asking for money:

Hang up and call them yourself using a phone number you already know.

Don't use the number the caller provides.

Families can also create a private family verification word or phrase. If someone calls claiming to be a relative in an emergency, ask for the verification word.

2. AI-Generated Phishing Emails and Text Messages

It used to be easier to spot scam emails.

They often contained obvious spelling errors, strange grammar, awkward sentences, or poorly designed logos.

AI has changed that.

Scammers can now generate professional-looking emails that sound like they came from:

• Microsoft

• Google

• Amazon

• Your bank

• Your employer

• A delivery company

• PayPal

• Apple

• Government agencies

Some messages may even contain information about you gathered from public websites or data breaches.

A typical message might say:

“Your Microsoft account has been suspended. Verify your identity immediately to prevent permanent closure.”

The goal is to make you click a link leading to a fake website where criminals steal your password, credit-card information, or other personal data.

Warning signs

Watch for messages that:

• Create extreme urgency.

• Ask you to verify your password.

• Claim your account will immediately be closed.

• Ask for payment information.

• Contain unexpected attachments.

• Send you to an unfamiliar website.

• Arrive unexpectedly even though they appear legitimate.

How to protect yourself

Don't use the link in the message.

Instead, open your browser and manually visit the company's official website or open its official app.

For example, if an email says there's a problem with your Amazon account, open the Amazon app yourself and check your account there.

3. Deepfake Video Scams

Seeing something with your own eyes used to provide strong evidence that it was real.

That's becoming less reliable.

AI can create realistic-looking videos showing celebrities, politicians, business leaders, financial experts, or even people you personally know appearing to say things they never actually said.

These manipulated videos are commonly called deepfakes.

The FBI warns that synthetic video can contain subtle inconsistencies such as unusual facial movements, unnatural blinking, lighting problems, distorted audio, or awkward body positioning—but as the technology improves, deepfakes are becoming increasingly difficult to identify visually.

Scammers frequently use fake videos to promote:

• Cryptocurrency investments

• “Guaranteed” investment opportunities

• Fake giveaways

• Miracle products

• Fake celebrity endorsements

• Fraudulent financial advice

Warning signs

Be cautious when a video promises:

Guaranteed profits

Risk-free investing

Secret investment opportunities

Limited-time opportunities

Huge returns with little effort

Even if the person appearing in the video is someone you recognize, verify the information independently.

How to protect yourself

Search for the announcement on the person's official website or verified social-media accounts.

Never invest money simply because a convincing video shows a celebrity or well-known financial figure recommending something.

4. Fake Tech-Support Scams

You may be browsing the internet when suddenly a frightening warning appears:

“WARNING! Your computer has been infected!”

The screen may show:

• A Microsoft logo

• A Windows Defender logo

• Security warnings

• Error codes

• Loud alarm sounds

• A phone number you're instructed to call immediately

Don't panic.

That warning may simply be a webpage pretending to be a security alert.

Modern tech-support scams also reach victims through fake search results, advertisements, calendar invitations, renewal notices, and websites that imitate legitimate companies.

Once you call, the scammer may claim to work for Microsoft, Apple, your antivirus provider, or another technology company.

They may ask you to install remote-access software so they can “repair” your computer.

Instead, they could gain access to your files, passwords, banking information, and other private information.

The FBI specifically warns that legitimate companies do not unexpectedly call consumers offering technical support and recommends never giving an unsolicited support caller remote access to your computer.

How to protect yourself

If a browser suddenly says your computer is infected:

Do not call the number.

Close the browser window.

If necessary, restart the computer.

Then run a security scan using Windows Security or another trusted antivirus program.

5. Fake AI Apps, Programs, and Browser Extensions

AI tools are incredibly popular.

Unfortunately, criminals know that.

You may encounter advertisements for programs claiming to be:

• ChatGPT desktop software

• AI photo editors

• AI video generators

• AI writing assistants

• AI productivity tools

• AI browser extensions

Some may be legitimate.

Others may exist primarily to steal passwords, install malware, collect personal data, or trick you into purchasing worthless subscriptions.

Warning signs

Be cautious when software:

• Comes from an unfamiliar website.

• Requires you to disable antivirus protection.

• Promises expensive AI services completely free.

• Requests unnecessary browser permissions.

• Asks for financial information before explaining the service.

• Appears in a sponsored advertisement but not on the company's official website.

How to protect yourself

Download software directly from the developer's official website or a trusted app store whenever possible.

Never assume the first sponsored search result is the official website.

6. AI Shopping and Marketplace Scams

Artificial intelligence can create extremely convincing product photos, websites, descriptions, reviews, and even customer-service conversations.

That makes online shopping scams more believable than they used to be.

A fake seller may advertise:

• Electronics at unbelievable prices

• Vehicles

• Furniture

• Vacation rentals

• Concert tickets

• Collectibles

• Popular holiday items

The product photos may look professional because they were generated or altered using AI.

Even customer reviews can be artificially generated.

Malwarebytes reported in its 2026 AI scam research that 22% of surveyed adults said they had been misled by AI-generated photos or product reviews during the previous year.

Warning signs

Watch for:

• Prices dramatically below everyone else.

• Brand-new websites.

• Sellers insisting on payment outside the marketplace.

• Requests for gift cards or cryptocurrency.

• Product photos that look unusually perfect.

• Reviews that sound repetitive or generic.

• Sellers who refuse local pickup or normal payment protections.

How to protect yourself

Before buying from an unfamiliar website:

Search the company's name along with words such as:

reviews

scam

complaints

Also check how long the business appears to have existed and use a payment method that offers fraud protection.

7. AI Romance and Social-Media Impersonation Scams

The attractive person messaging you online may look completely real.

Unfortunately, they may not exist at all.

AI can generate:

• Realistic profile photographs

• Biographies

• Text conversations

• Voice messages

• Videos

• Personalized romantic messages

This technology can make romance scams dramatically more convincing.

Criminals may spend days, weeks, or even months building trust before introducing an emergency, investment opportunity, medical crisis, travel expense, or other reason they need money.

According to the FBI, AI-generated profiles and conversations are already being used in confidence and romance scams. The FBI reported more than $19 million in losses during 2025 from confidence and romance scams with a likely AI connection.

Warning signs

Be especially cautious if someone you've never met:

• Quickly expresses strong romantic feelings.

• Always has excuses for avoiding an in-person meeting.

• Has repeated problems with video calls.

• Introduces cryptocurrency or investments.

• Eventually needs money.

• Wants you to move conversations away from the original platform.

How to protect yourself

Never send money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, bank information, or account credentials to someone you've only met online.

If a relationship becomes serious, verify that the person is who they claim to be before becoming financially involved.

5 Things You Can Do Today to Protect Yourself

AI scams are becoming more convincing, but several basic precautions can dramatically reduce your risk.

1. Slow Down

Urgency is one of a scammer's most powerful weapons.

The FBI recommends resisting pressure to act immediately and taking time to verify what's happening before sending money or sharing personal information.

If someone says:

“You must do this right now!”

That is exactly when you should slow down.

2. Verify People Using a Different Method

If your daughter sends an unusual message asking for money, call her.

If your boss sends an unusual payment request, call the office.

If your bank contacts you, call the number printed on your bank card.

Don't verify suspicious communication using contact information provided by the suspicious message itself.

3. Use Multifactor Authentication

Turn on two-factor or multifactor authentication whenever it's available—especially for:

• Email

• Banking

• Social media

• Microsoft accounts

• Google accounts

• Apple accounts

A stolen password becomes far less useful when the criminal also needs another form of verification.

4. Create a Family Verification Word

Choose something memorable that isn't publicly available.

If someone calls pretending to be a family member and claims there's an emergency, ask for the verification word.

Don't post it online.

Don't use something easily guessed from social media.

5. Don't Trust Something Just Because It Looks or Sounds Real

This may be the most important rule for 2026.

A familiar voice doesn't necessarily prove who's speaking.

A realistic photograph doesn't prove the person exists.

A convincing video doesn't prove the person actually said those words.

A professional-looking email doesn't prove the company sent it.

AI has changed the rules.

Verification is becoming more important than recognition.

What Should You Do If You Think You've Been Scammed?

Act quickly.

If you gave someone a password, change it immediately.

If you gave someone banking or credit-card information, contact the financial institution using its official phone number.

If someone gained remote access to your computer, disconnect the computer from the internet and run a trusted security scan.

You can also report suspected internet fraud to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. The FTC also provides scam reporting and recovery information through its consumer-protection resources.

The Bottom Line

Artificial intelligence isn't creating completely new types of fraud as much as it's making old scams faster, cheaper, more personalized, and more believable.

The most important habit you can develop is simple:

Stop. Verify. Then act.

Before sending money, clicking a link, installing software, providing a password, or sharing personal information, independently confirm who you're dealing with.

A few extra seconds of verification could save you from a very expensive mistake.

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