Future Scam Trends 2026–2028: Likely Trends and Emerging Risks
Based on the research and expert predictions, these are likely trends and emerging risks for 2026–2028. They are forecasts, not confirmed events - treat each as a reason to strengthen habits like independent verification, not as a certainty.
Last reviewed 2026-06-05.
Top scams
- Likely trend: AI-generated, highly personalised scam messages (using breach data)
- Likely trend: AI voice-cloning family-emergency scams
- Likely trend: deepfake video-call impersonations (relatives, executives)
- Likely trend: fake AI customer-support bots
- Likely trend: fake job-onboarding scams
- Likely trend: investment communities run by AI chatbots
- Likely trend: QR-code and instant-payment fraud
- Likely trend: smart-contract / crypto wallet-drain scams
- Likely trend: social-media account-takeover scams
- Likely trend: recovery scams re-targeting victims
- Likely trend: fake verification and fake government-penalty scams
- Likely trend: fake immigration / travel and subscription-renewal scams
- Likely trend: fake charity scams during disasters and major events
- Likely trend: deepfake public-figure ads and AI-written phishing with perfect grammar
- Emerging risk: synthetic dating profiles
- Emerging risk: AI-generated legal threats
- Emerging risk: scam-as-a-service platforms lowering the barrier for criminals
Platforms most affected
Common red flags
What people reported
The common thread is automation and realism: as fraud kits and generative AI spread, scams scale up and look more legitimate, so independent verification and payment limits become the strongest defences. (Paraphrased from public discussions - anecdotal, not verified facts.)
Check related messages
- Is this AI voice family emergency call a scam?
- Is this crypto investment group invite a scam?
- Is this crypto recovery agent message a scam?
Related scam types
If you were affected
See our step-by-step recovery guides and report through official channels using the reporting directory. Be wary of anyone who offers to recover lost money for an upfront fee.
Sources checked
- AARP - Biggest scams to watch for in 2026 - Medium reliability
- Google - November 2025 fraud and scams advisory - High reliability
- Peoples Bank - AI scams in 2026: how to protect yourself - Medium reliability
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - Fraud Prevention Month 2026 / top frauds 2025 - High reliability
Frequently asked questions
Are these future scams guaranteed to happen?
No. They are forecasts based on current research and expert predictions, marked as 'likely trends' or 'emerging risks'. They are reasons to strengthen verification habits, not certainties.