Forget robocalls. How scammers are using AI to get your money.
Forget robocalls. How scammers are using AI to get your money.
Publish Date: 2026-03-07 14:00:00
Source Domain: www.nj.com
- Scammers are increasingly utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their fraudulent schemes, according to a recent report by the National Consumers League.
- Phishing and spoofing scams increased significantly by 85.6% in 2025, and median losses from these scams doubled from $1,000 to $2,060.
- Investment scams resulted in the highest median loss at $30,000, followed by romance scams with a median loss of $15,000.
- AI tools are being used to craft highly realistic phishing emails and cloned voices, making fraudulent messages more convincing and harder for consumers to detect.
- Nearly half of scam victims reported their first contact with fraudsters was online, marking a shift from robocalls to web-based contact.
- The top 10 scams revealed include phishing/spoofing, internet merchandise, prizes/sweepstakes, investment scams, advance fee loans, fake check scams, romance scams, family/friend imposter scams, home repair frauds, and credit repair scams.
- Fraud reports from young adults aged 26 to 45 are rising, indicating that while older consumers are still significantly impacted, scammers are increasingly targeting younger demographics.
- The National Consumers League shares complaint data with law enforcement and consumer groups to identify fraud trends and support enforcement actions.
