The study found that phishing scams are on the rise, and these have been accelerated by artificial intelligence

You’re probably familiar with the words “Potential spam” or “Suspicious activity detected” or even a pop-up in Gmail that says “This message may be dangerous.” This is because we are all potential victims of phishing, spoofing, and other online scams at all times. according to New report From the National Consumers League, phishing and spoofing scams have increased by more than 85%, and the average financial loss from these scams has doubled, from $1,000 to $2,060.

Generative AI has been integral to the growing number of attacks, which are becoming more frequent and sophisticated. US Federal Trade Commission I mentioned Americans lost more than $12 billion to consumer fraud and fraud attacks in 2024, an increase of 25% year over year. These losses are expected to increase as scams become more convincing, enabled by artificial intelligence tools that allow fraudsters to clone voices, create deepfakes, localize messages, and customize the language used in fraudulent emails, texts, and social media posts.

“Given the widespread evidence that fraudsters are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to craft better offers, the rise in phishing complaints is particularly concerning,” John Breault, NCL’s vice president of public policy, communications and fraud, said in a statement.

Notably, 48% of the 1,376 complaints analyzed by the NCL report involved online fraud attempts, representing a clear shift away from phone scams as the primary method used by attackers.

Young people are at risk

There are widespread assumptions that young people (Millennials and Generation Z) are less likely to be affected by web-based and AI-powered scams because of their digital literacy. While it is true that older adults, ages 56 and older, account for more than a third (37.94%) of complaints, younger adults are also being targeted at increasing rates.

NCL found that millennials accounted for 39.8% of all fraud complaints, and that complaints from adults ages 26 to 35 increased by 68.1% year over year.

How to protect yourself online in 2026

While web-based and AI-generated fraud attempts are on the rise and becoming more sophisticated, there are ways to protect yourself online. NCL says to be wary of anything that sounds too good to be true, and suggests learning about common scams, such as fake check scams, fake prize and lottery scams, online merchandise scams, and investment scams.

The Consumer Federation of America, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting American consumers, Also recommend To remain alert and inquire about unexpected calls, texts, or emails, as well as any messages that convey a sense of urgency or threats. For example, be wary of messages that include language like “Act now” or “Your account will be locked.”

The CFA also urges you to independently verify communications or individuals by searching purported phone numbers, names, websites, and businesses rather than trusting caller ID, links, or contact information.

If you suspect you have been the victim of a fraud attempt, report it to authorities, such as the Federal Trade Commission Website.