Future scams
Scams change quickly, but the underlying tricks - urgency, authority, secrecy, and too-good offers - stay the same. This hub looks at where things are heading so you can stay one step ahead. We separate what's already happening from what's a reasonable forecast, and we never claim to predict the future with certainty.
How to read this page: the themes below are grounded in current, documented trends. For year-ahead forecasts that are clearly labelled as predictions, see future scams: 2027–2028.
Themes shaping the next wave
AI-generated voices and video
Cheap voice cloning and deepfake video make 'family emergency' and executive-impersonation scams more convincing. Verification habits (call-backs, a family secret word) matter more than ever.
Automated, personalised phishing
Generative tools let scammers write fluent, tailored messages at scale, reducing the spelling/grammar tells people once relied on.
Real-time payment abuse
As instant-payment systems spread, 'authorised push payment' scams that trick you into sending money yourself remain hard to reverse.
Crypto and wallet-drainer evolution
Wallet-draining signatures, fake airdrops, and 'recovery' follow-ups continue to adapt; irreversibility keeps the stakes high.
Channel-hopping
Scams increasingly start on one platform (ad, marketplace, dating app) and move to private messaging to avoid moderation.
Emerging scam topics - evidence, layer by layer
For each topic we separate four things so you can weigh them yourself: confirmed official data, cybersecurity research, public pattern observations (anecdotal), and a clearly labelled prediction.
AI voice cloning
Confirmed - official data
Consumer agencies and banks have warned that scammers use AI to clone familiar voices for fake-emergency and payment scams.
Cybersecurity research
Security researchers note voice cloning now needs only seconds of audio and is cheap and convincing.
Public pattern observations
People report calls that sound exactly like a relative or boss, urging urgent, secret payment. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Cloned-voice calls are likely to become a default tool in family-emergency and executive-fraud attempts, so a familiar voice will no longer be proof of identity.
What to do: Agree a family 'secret word', and verify any urgent money request by calling back on a known number.
Sources: Peoples Bank - AI scams in 2026: how to protect yourself, AARP - Biggest scams to watch for in 2026
Deepfake video calls
Confirmed - official data
Law-enforcement and corporate cases have documented deepfaked video used to impersonate executives and officials.
Cybersecurity research
Researchers show real-time face/voice swapping on video calls is increasingly accessible.
Public pattern observations
Victims describe 'video calls' from police or executives demanding transfers, including 'digital arrest' setups. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Expect more fully deepfaked video 'verification' and 'arrest' scams; seeing a face on a call will not confirm identity.
What to do: End suspicious video calls and verify through official channels you look up yourself.
Sources: NITI Aayog - Digital Arrest: The Modern-Day Cyber Scam, FBI IC3 - Senior US officials impersonated in malicious messaging campaign (2025)
Scam-as-a-service
Confirmed - official data
Authorities have described criminal marketplaces selling phishing kits and fraud tooling.
Cybersecurity research
Researchers track ready-made phishing pages, drainer kits, and 'fraud-as-a-service' subscriptions.
Public pattern observations
People encounter highly polished fake pages and messages that look indistinguishable from the real brand. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Lower skill barriers will mean more frequent, more professional scams, so 'it looked legit' will be weaker reassurance than ever.
What to do: Judge the request and verify the source independently - not how professional the message looks.
Sources: FTC Consumer Advice - Imposter scams
Personalised phishing using breach data
Confirmed - official data
Regulators warn that leaked personal data is used to make phishing more convincing.
Cybersecurity research
Researchers show breach data plus AI can auto-generate tailored, accurate-sounding lures at scale.
Public pattern observations
People report scam messages that correctly cite their name, recent orders, or partial card numbers. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Expect phishing that references real personal details, making 'they knew my information' a poor signal of legitimacy.
What to do: Treat accurate personal details as no proof of legitimacy; verify through official apps you open yourself.
Sources: CFPB - Classic warning signs of fraud and scams, Google - November 2025 fraud and scams advisory
QR & payment-link scams
Confirmed - official data
Government and health agencies have warned about malicious QR codes (quishing).
Cybersecurity research
Researchers document QR codes hiding fake login and payment pages behind a short, opaque link.
Public pattern observations
People report QR codes on parking meters, posters, and 'refund' messages leading to fake pages. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Expect more QR and payment-link lures as cashless payments grow, especially 'scan to receive a refund' tricks.
What to do: Never scan to 'receive' money; preview links and use official apps instead of codes from messages.
Sources: HHS HC3 - QR codes and phishing as a threat (white paper, 2023)
Wallet drainers
Confirmed - official data
Security firms and exchanges warn about wallet-draining approvals and seed-phrase theft.
Cybersecurity research
Researchers track 'drainer' kits that empty a wallet from a single malicious signature.
Public pattern observations
People report fake airdrops and 'connect and sign' sites that drain funds instantly. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Expect more polished drainer campaigns tied to fake airdrops, mints, and 'wallet validation' pages.
What to do: Never share a seed phrase, review every signature, and revoke unused approvals.
Sources: Huntress - Pig butchering scam: signs, examples & protection
Synthetic identity scams
Confirmed - official data
Financial regulators describe synthetic identity fraud - blending real and fake details to open accounts.
Cybersecurity research
Researchers note AI makes fabricated identities and documents harder to detect.
Public pattern observations
People discover accounts or loans opened in combinations of their real and fake data. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Expect more synthetic identities used for mule accounts and credit fraud, surfacing months later.
What to do: Monitor your credit, freeze it where possible, and report unfamiliar accounts quickly.
Senior-targeted AI scams
Confirmed - official data
Consumer groups warn older adults face rising losses from imposter and tech-support scams.
Cybersecurity research
Researchers note AI voice/video makes 'grandparent' and official-impersonation scams more believable.
Public pattern observations
Families report cloned-voice 'grandchild in trouble' calls and fake-support pressure. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Expect AI to sharpen scams aimed at older adults, especially family-emergency and support fraud.
What to do: Set a family secret word, and talk with older relatives about pausing and verifying before paying.
Sources: AARP - Biggest scams to watch for in 2026, Peoples Bank - AI scams in 2026: how to protect yourself
Business deepfake BEC
Confirmed - official data
Reported cases show deepfaked executives used to authorise fraudulent transfers.
Cybersecurity research
Researchers show convincing audio/video 'CEO' requests are now feasible in live meetings.
Public pattern observations
Finance teams report urgent 'executive' payment requests via email, voice, or video. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Expect business email compromise to add deepfake voice/video, so call-back verification becomes essential.
What to do: Verify payment and bank-detail changes through a known internal channel, never the request alone.
Sources: FBI IC3 - Senior US officials impersonated in malicious messaging campaign (2025), FTC Consumer Advice - Imposter scams
Recovery scams
Confirmed - official data
Authorities warn that scam victims are re-targeted by fake 'fund recovery' services.
Cybersecurity research
Researchers note recovery scams often reuse victim lists from earlier fraud.
Public pattern observations
People who lost money report being contacted by 'recovery agents' demanding an upfront fee. (Anecdotal - not verified facts.)
Prediction - informed forecast, not fact
Expect more recovery scams following large fraud waves, often impersonating officials or law firms.
What to do: Never pay an upfront fee to 'recover' money; report through official channels instead.
Sources: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - Fraudsters impersonating the CAFC, FTC Consumer Advice - Imposter scams
Stay protected
Forecasts are informed opinion, not certainty. We don't claim guaranteed detection or prediction of any specific future scam.