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The new year doesn't necessarily bring about a shift in scam tactics. In fact, over the years, many scams have slowly evolved as scammers incorporate new technology and play off of the most recent major events.
But there is a general sense that scams and fraud have become increasingly common around the world. The Global Anti-Scam Alliance, or GASA, reports that over $1.03 trillion was lost to scammers in 2024.
Scammers almost always have the same goal—to get people's personal information or money. Learning about the latest developments will hopefully help to stay one step ahead. Experian shares the latest scams to watch out for in 2025, including AI-powered scams, imposter scams and investment scams.
1. AI Scams
The clearest example of scammers using new technology comes from the explosion of artificial intelligence and, thus, AI-powered scams.
In December 2024, the FBI posted a public service announcement listing some of the ways that criminals use generative AI to trick victims. The GASA also highlighted the increasing role of generative AI in scams around the world and noted that deepfake-related crime increased by more than 1,500% in the Asia-Pacific region from 2022 to 2023.
Generative AI tools generally get classified by the type of content they generate, such as text, images or videos. Scammers can use them to enhance different types of popular scams:
Phishing and smishing: Scammers can use AI to write more convincing and natural-sounding phishing emails and text images: Scammers can use AI-generated images to quickly create eye-catching websites, social media ads, fake identification documents, explicit photos and fake headshots for social media videos: AI-generated videos might be created to promote fake products, services or investments. Scammers might also use deepfake recordings or real-time face- and body-swapping tools to trick victims into thinking they're someone and cloned voices: Scammers also use AI-generated or altered voices for their videos and for phone-based scams. Some AI tools can even mimic real accents.
The potential to create an image, video or voice of someone can make many existing scams more believable, and it opens up new opportunities for scammers.
2. Imposter Scams
Scammers almost always hide their identity, and imposter scams are one of the most common types of scams or fraud because the category is fairly broad. These happen when the scammer pretends to be a friend, relative, celebrity, politician, businessperson, government agent, delivery person or company representative.
Some types of imposter scams are so prevalent that they have their own name, such as the grandparent scam (which doesn't actually always involve a grandparent) and romance scams (which sometimes involve platonic rather than romantic relationships).
According to the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, 2023 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, about 20% of people targeted by an imposter scam in 2023 lost money, and the median loss was $800. The FTC also reported that government imposter scams in particular led to a massive increase in losses during the first three months of 2024, with median losses of $14,740.
Now that scammers are using AI, it's more important than ever to be skeptical when someone contacts you, especially if they try to scare you or offer you a gift or investment opportunity.
2025 Spotlight: Email and Text as Preferred Contact Methods
The FTC reports that the percentage of imposter scams that start with a phone call has decreased from 67% in 2020 to 32% in 2023. Text messages and email are becoming a preferred method of first contact.
For example, the scammers might impersonate a company and send a message or email about a fake security alert, renewal, invoice, discount or tracking error. There are even multi-party scams, where the first scammer directs you to an accomplice who poses as a government agent or bank employee.
3. Sextortion Scams Targeting Children and Teens
One disturbing scam that's become more prevalent in recent years is a financial sexual extortion, or sextortion, scam.
The scammers often pretend to be young girls or women who are interested in a romantic relationship. They may send stolen or AI-generated explicit photos and trick victims into sharing explicit photos or videos. Alternatively, scammers sometimes trick victims after forming a friendship and then offering money, gift cards or something else in exchange for images or videos.
Victims are told that the images or videos will be sent to family, friends and classmates if they don't pay the scammers. Often, this all happens very quickly—sometimes in less than an hour—and victims may be too embarrassed to ask for help.
The FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline have more resources. You can also report the scam to the CyberTipline and get help taking down explicit content.
4. Romance Scams
While romance scams aren't new, they remain a popular scam and are a prime example of how scammers can use generative AI to trick victims.
Scammers often steal someone's identity or create fake profiles on dating and social media apps to meet victims. There's no surefire method to detect a fake. Some will use AI to deepfake video calls, and some crime organizations even force people or hire models to conduct romance scams.
After gaining someone's trust, the scammer might ask them to buy them something, ask for money, or give an investment "tip" that's part of the scam. Or, the person may "mistakenly" send money and ask a person to send it back or forward it to someone else. If a bank later determines that their payment was fraudulent, the sum of the payment will be subtracted from an account.
Many romance scams start with text messages, private messages on social media or dating apps. And they can target anyone—some scammers even seek to form platonic rather than romantic relationships.
2025 Spotlight: "Accidental" Text Messages
Have you gotten a text message that seems genuine, but it also appears to be intended for someone else? It might say something like, "Sorry I'm running late, I'll be there in 15 minutes." Not wanting to be rude, you respond by telling the sender they've got the wrong number.
These wrong number texts are often the first step in a romance or employment scam. Although there's sometimes a scammer on the other end from the start, scammers can also use AI messaging bots to target thousands of people at a time.
5. Phone-Related Scams
Scammers may contact people by phone, and some phone scams rely on smartphones' capabilities to access the internet and install malware. These phone-related scams include:
Robocalls: Robocalls have people's phones ringing nonstop with increasingly natural-sounding recorded voices. They may offer everything from auto warranties to vacations, or issue a threat to try and get attention. Some robocalls can even respond to questions using prerecorded or AI-generated apps: Scammers may try to get people to install a malicious app to steal their information. Or, they might create a nearly identical copy of an existing app and then make money from in-app purchases. Recently, there were reports of malware that could infect phones and trick owners into calling the scammer when they try to call your codes: These convenient codes have gained popularity as a touchless option to do things like read a restaurant menu or make a payment. However, scammers place their QR codes in inconspicuous spots, and scanning the code could prompt someone to make a small purchase or enter their credentials on a lookalike website. Some scammers even go as far as printing QR codes on letters that appear to come from government agencies and then mailing them swapping: This technique is used by a thief to reassign an individual's number to a SIM card in a phone they control. They can then try to log in to their accounts using codes or links sent to their phone number. Contact your carrier to see if there are any security measures for stopping SIM swapping. Also, see if your accounts let you use a non-SMS multifactor authentication option, such as an authenticator app that the scammer can't steal or -time password (OTP) bots: Some scammers use so-called OTP bots to trick people into sharing the authentication codes. The scammer might try to log in, prompting the bank to send you a one-time code. At the same time, the bot imitates the company and calls, texts, or emails recipients asking for the code. The timing might convince them that the bot's request is legitimate. However, if they respond, it sends the code to the scammer, who can now log in to their account.
6. Cryptocurrency and Investment Scams
Cryptocurrency prices rocketed after the presidential election, and cryptocurrency scams are sure to follow. These have taken different forms over the years, including scams involving fake prizes, contests, giveaways, or early investment opportunities.
The scammers may impersonate celebrities or popular websites to lure victims into sending them money, sharing login information, or "investing" in a project. Crypto exchange accounts have also been the target of the OTP bot attack technique described above to prevent people from getting their crypto back while the scammer drains their account.
Investment scams often rely on similar techniques, but without the crypto spin. The Better Business Bureau, or BBB, considered the combined crypto and investments scam to be the riskiest scam in its 2023 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. Although it didn't have the highest median losses at $3,800, over 80% of people who were targeted reported a loss.
7. Online Purchase Scams
Online purchase scams continue to be one of the riskiest types of scams, according to the Better Business Bureau. Although median losses were relatively low at $100, over 40% of the scams reported to the BBB were online purchase scams and over 80% of people report falling for the scam.
Some scammers set up fake e-commerce stores and buy ads for the website on social media. Alternatively, scammers might list items for sale on online marketplaces, including social media platforms' marketplaces.
The scammers might take someone's money and never send anything in return. Or, they might be committing triangulation fraud and purchasing the item the person bought with someone else's stolen credit card. People might not realize they were part of a scam unless they try to return the item or use a warranty.
Always look for red flags such as too-good-to-be-true prices, lack of details, or high-pressure sales tactics. Paying with your credit card can also help you limit potential losses, as you can initiate a chargeback if you don't receive a product or service.
2025 Spotlight: Refund Phishing
Some scammers figured out a new way to profit from stolen credit card information. Rather than focusing on stealing money from the card, they make a fraudulent purchase from a fake merchant whose name is a phone number or email. Victims call or visit the site to dispute the transaction, but they're phished—tricked into sharing personal and account information with the scammer.
8. Employment Scams
Employment scams use enticing, and hard-to-detect, lures to target people who've been out of work. Some scammers take a slow approach with interviews and a legitimate-seeming operation. They then collect personal information from your employment forms, or tell you to buy equipment or training.
Other scams get right to the point and promise guaranteed or easy income—if the victim purchases their program. Sometimes, a fake employer sends a large paycheck and asks the person to send the "extra" back—a play on the popular overpayment scam.
The FTC says reports about task scams, when you're hired to repeat simple tasks online, increased from about 5,000 during all of 2023 to 20,000 during the first half of 2024. You might be able to withdraw small amounts at first. But the scam occurs when you're told you can pay to increase your earning rate and that you have to deposit money to unlock larger withdrawals. You make the payments, but you can't get any of the money—or your supposed earnings—out.
You may also come across job opportunities that involve receiving money and sending funds to another account, or receiving and reshipping packages. These "money mule" and "reshipping mule" jobs are often part of an illegal operation, and you could be personally liable.
9. Check Fraud
Criminals have been breaking into mailboxes and robbing mail carriers to steal mail and look for checks. If you mail a check and it's stolen, they might create a counterfeit check and use it to withdraw money from your account.
Your bank or credit union will often reimburse you, but it could take a long time and cause money problems while you wait. It might be best to avoid writing and mailing checks altogether. If you have to send a check, some pens, such as Uni-Ball pens with Super Ink, claim to stop check washing. That still won't protect against some other types of check fraud, though.
How to Avoid a Scam
While scammers' delivery methods and messaging can quickly change, a few basic security measures can help protect you from the latest and most common scams:
Be skeptical when someone contacts you. Scammers can spoof calls and emails to make it look like they are coming from different sources, including government agencies, charities, banks and large companies. Don't share personal information, usernames, passwords or one-time codes that others can use to access your accounts or steal your 't click unknown links. Whether the link arrives in your email, a text or a direct message, never click on it unless you're certain the sender has good intentions. If the message says it's from a company or government agency, call the company using a number that you look up on your own to confirm its careful with your phone. Similarly, if you suspect a spam call, don't respond or press a button. The safest option is to hang up or ignore the call entirely. You can look up the organization and initiate a call if you're worried there may be an your devices. Software updates may include important security measures that can help protect your phone, tablet or multifactor authentication. Add this feature to any accounts that offer it as an option, and try to use a non-SMS version to protect yourself from SIM companies before taking any actions. Before you make a purchase or donation, take a few minutes to review the company. Do a web search for its name plus "scam" or "reviews" and research charities on Charity Navigator and 't refund or forward overpayments. Be careful whenever a company or person asks you to refund or forward part of a payment. Often, the original payment will be fraudulent and taken back for suspicious payment requirements. Scammers often ask for payments via cash, wire transfer, money order, cryptocurrency or gift cards. These payments can be harder to track and cancel than other forms of payment, which can leave you stuck without a family password. Create a family password that you can all use to verify that it's really one of you on the phone, and not someone who created a deepfaked video or cloned voice.
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