AI Scams
AI-enabled fraud surged 1,210% in 2025 according to Sumsub, with $40 billion in projected losses by 2027. A Hong Kong finance worker wired $25.6M after a deepfake video call where every other "executive" was AI. A French woman sent $850,000 to scammers using a Brad Pitt deepfake. Voice clones now need just 3 seconds of audio. The defenses that worked in 2022 — bad grammar, blurry photos, suspicious time zones — no longer apply. Here's every major AI scam category and what still works.
Got a suspicious message right now?
Paste the text, link, or screenshot into the Cautellus scanner.
Red flags to watch for
A video call "executive" asks for an urgent wire transfer — even when their face and voice match perfectly. The Hong Kong $25.6M case proved deepfake video can fool real CFOs in real meetings.
A panicked phone call from a family member uses their exact voice. Voice cloning needs just 3 seconds of audio scraped from TikTok, Reels, or voicemail.
A "celebrity" personally messages you about an investment opportunity or crypto giveaway. Brad Pitt is not in your DMs. Elon is not airdropping you SOL.
A dating-app match writes flawless, emotionally calibrated messages that arrive within seconds at any hour. AI chatbots don't take time to think, and they remember every detail you share.
An image of a person looks "almost right" — earrings that don't match, fingers that bend wrong, eyes catching light from impossible directions. Current generators still fail these tests.
A live video call has glitchy moments when the person turns their head sharply or moves a hand in front of their face. Real-time deepfakes break on rapid motion and hand occlusion.
Brands scammers impersonate
These are the brands most often used in this category of scam. Tap any one for a deep-dive on how scammers impersonate them and what the real brand will never do.
What to do if it’s happening to you
- 01
Pick a family code word now. Any "emergency call" from a relative that fails the code word is a scam. Set this up before you need it, not during.
- 02
Always call back on a known number. If you get a panicked call, hang up and call the person on the number you already have. Voice clones can't fake the call you initiate.
- 03
On video calls about money, require gestures: turn your head sharply sideways, wave a hand in front of your face. Current real-time deepfakes break on both.
- 04
Reverse-image search any "celebrity" photo or dating-app profile picture. AI faces often appear nowhere else online; stolen real photos appear everywhere.
- 05
Cross-verify any executive wire-transfer request from a single video call or email through a separate established channel — in-person, your normal phone line, or an existing Slack DM thread.
- 06
Run suspicious images, voice clips, or screenshots through the Cautellus AI image detector or deepfake detector before you act on what they show.
Guides & deep-dives (45)
Your Phone Now Detects Scam Calls. Here's the Fine Print.
Google just turned on scam call detection — including AI voice detection — on Android phones. Here's what it actually catches and what still slips through.
Read the guide15 Romance Scam Red Flags: How to Spot a Fake Dating Profile in 2026
Romance scams cost Americans $1.16B in just the first 9 months of 2025. Median victim loss: $2,218 — the highest of any imposter scam category. Here are 15 specific red flags in profiles and messages, plus how to verify photos and check for AI-generated fakes.
Read the guideThe Factory Behind Your Scam Texts Just Got Raided
The FBI just seized $8 billion and arrested hundreds in a scam compound crackdown. Here's what those compounds are—and how they pick their targets.
Read the guideThe Deepfake Oprah Weight Loss Scam That Fooled 35 States
170+ BBB reports. AI deepfakes of Oprah, Dr. Oz, and Kelly Clarkson are selling fake LipoMax pink salt on Facebook. The videos look real. The product isn't.
Read the guideThe Truman Show Scam: When Your Whole Investment Group Is Fake
Scammers now build entire fake investment communities — AI bots playing 47 different people — to steal your money. Here's how the Truman Show scam works and how to spot it.
Read the guideThe Romance Scam Playbook: 11 Psychological Manipulation Tactics Sophisticated Dating App Scammers Use to Groom You
Romance scammers don't just use bad photos and broken English anymore. Here are the 11 psychological manipulation tactics modern dating app scammers use — and how to spot them before your savings account does.
Read the guideDeepfake Scams Are Exploding: How to Spot Fake Voice, Video, and Verification Code Scams
AI can clone a voice in 3 seconds. A finance worker lost $25 million to a deepfake video call. Here's how deepfake voice, video, and verification code scams work — and how to protect yourself.
Read the guideHinge Scams: How to Spot Fake Profiles Before Your Love Life Becomes a Crime Scene (2026)
Romance scams cost victims over $650M a year, and dating apps are the launchpad. Here's how to spot fake Hinge profiles, love bombing, and the pig butchering setup before your love life becomes a crime scene.
Read the guideHow to Verify a Bumble Profile Before You Match With a Walking Disaster
Bumble scams look clean, polished, and respectful right up until the wire transfer. Here are the 7 steps to verify a Bumble profile and spot a scammer before they ruin your week.
Read the guideHow to Verify a Telegram Profile (Before It Verifies Your Wallet Into Oblivion)
Telegram is crypto scam central. Fake support, fake airdrops, fake investment groups, and 'Elon' in your DMs. Here's how to verify any Telegram account before it drains your wallet.
Read the guideTikTok Shop & Instagram Scams 2026: How Fake Stores Trick You Into Buying
Americans lost $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025. Fake TikTok shops, scam Instagram stores, and DM sellers are stealing card info and shipping nothing. Here's how to spot them.
Read the guideMcAfee's ChatGPT Scam Detector: What It Catches and What It Misses (2026)
McAfee put a scam detector in ChatGPT. It adds useful friction — but it can't check live threat databases, catch typosquatting, or verify domains against 10,000+ confirmed scam reports. Here's the full comparison.
Read the guideThe $25 Million Deepfake Video Call: Inside the Arup Scam
Scammers used AI to fake an entire video conference — CFO, executives, and all — and walked away with $25 million from engineering giant Arup. How it happened, why the employee wasn't reckless, and what it means for every business.
Read the guideThe MrBeast Giveaway Scam: How Deepfakes Tricked Thousands
A complete breakdown of the MrBeast deepfake iPhone scam that went viral on TikTok — how it worked, what the 'giveaway' was actually signing you up for, and how to spot the next celebrity impersonation before it drains your card.
Read the guideAI Can Now Hack Anything. Here's What That Means for Your Accounts
Anthropic just built an AI so good at finding security flaws they won't release it publicly. Here's what Project Glasswing means for your bank, email, and phone — and 5 things to do right now.
Read the guideCrypto Scam Recovery Guide: What to Do After Losing Money to a Crypto Scam
Lost money to a crypto or pig butchering scam? Here's the exact steps to take, who to report it to, and how to avoid the recovery scammers who will try to take more.
Read the guideElder Fraud Protection: The Complete 2026 Guide for Seniors and Families
Seniors lost $3.4 billion to scams in 2025 — a 14% jump from the previous year. This is the complete playbook families can use to protect older loved ones from grandparent scams, romance fraud, government impersonation, and more.
Read the guideThe Family Safe Word: A 30-Second Setup That Stops AI Voice Scams Cold
Scammers can clone your voice from 3 seconds of audio. A family safe word is the single most effective defense against grandparent scams and AI voice fraud. Here's how to set one up.
Read the guideThe $25 Million Zoom Call That Never Happened: Live Deepfake Video Scams Explained
An employee joined a video call with his CFO and colleagues. They told him to wire $25 million. They were all AI-generated in real time. Here's how live deepfake video scams work and how to spot one.
Read the guideScam Protection Guide for Older Adults (And the Family Members Who Love Them)
Seniors lose 3x more per scam than younger adults. This is the action playbook for families: top 5 scams, the safe word strategy, a fridge-ready checklist, and what to do if your parent already sent money.
Read the guideSocial Security and Medicare Scams: How to Spot Them and Protect Your Benefits
Social Security impersonation scams cost Americans over $126 million in 2025. Here's how real agencies contact you, how scammers fake it, and exactly what to do when you get a suspicious call.
Read the guideAI Scams in 2026: The Tactics Stealing Billions and How to Fight Back
The FBI reported $16.6 billion in fraud losses in 2025, with AI scams growing fastest. Voice cloning, deepfake video calls, autonomous scam agents — here's what's happening and how to protect yourself.
Read the guideHow to Spot a Deepfake: A Consumer's Guide for 2026
Deepfake files surged from 500K to 8 million in two years. 96% are used maliciously. Here's exactly what to look for in fake videos, voice calls, and AI-generated photos.
Read the guideFake Crypto Exchanges in 2026: How to Spot the Scam Before Your Money Disappears
Fake crypto trading platforms are stealing thousands. Learn how these scams work, the biggest red flags, and how to avoid losing your money.
Read the guideDeepfake Scams Are Exploding. How to Spot Them
Deepfake scams cost over $1B in 2025. Voice clones need 3 seconds of audio. Learn how to detect deepfakes and protect yourself in real time.
Read the guideRomance Scams Targeting Seniors: A Checklist
Seniors over 60 lost a record $7.75B to fraud in 2025 — up 37% from 2024 — with romance and confidence scams a top-three category. Use this checklist to spot the warning signs and protect someone you love.
Read the guide7 Warning Signs of AI Chatbot Romance Scams (2026 Guide)
AI chatbots now run romance scams 24/7. Learn the 7 warning signs that actually matter in 2026.
Read the guideAI Voice Cloning Scams: 3 Seconds of Audio Can Cost Everything
Scammers clone voices from 3 seconds of audio. Learn how to protect your family with a code word.
Read the guideAI Phishing 2026: 5 New Red Flags You Must Know
82.6% of phishing emails now use AI. Old advice about typos is dangerously outdated. Here are the 5 new red flags that actually matter.
Read the guide2026 Scam Trends: AI Fraud Stats & Protection
AI fraud surged 1,210% in 2025. Deepfakes cost one firm $25.6M. Here are the 6 scam trends defining 2026 and what you can do about them.
Read the guideRomance Scammer Returns: Follow-Up Scam Warning
The scammer who conned you is back with an apology or new emergency. It feels different this time — but it's the same scam. Here's how it works.
Read the guideSafest Dating Apps 2026: Date Without Scams
Romance scammers stole over $1.16B in just the first nine months of 2025. Here are the safest dating apps in 2026 and the safety features that actually matter.
Read the guideWhatsApp Safety Guide 2026: Protect Your Messages
Meta removed 6.8M scam accounts from WhatsApp in early 2025. From Hi Mom scams to crypto pipelines, here's how to stay safe.
Read the guideHow to Tell if an Image Is AI Generated: A Complete Guide
AI-generated images are everywhere in 2026. Learn how to spot the signs of AI images and use a detector to verify what's real.
Read the guideRomance Scam Warning Signs You're Probably Ignoring
Median romance scam loss is $2,218 per the FTC, but the mean climbs past $14,000 once pig butchering victims are counted. Here are the signs most people only recognize when it's too late.
Read the guidePig Butchering Scam: Warning Signs & Protection
The average pig butchering victim loses $177,000. A bank CEO embezzled $47M to cover losses. Here's how it works and how to spot it early.
Read the guideFake Celebrity Endorsements: Spot AI Deepfakes
Deepfake celebrity endorsements promote crypto scams and fake products. Learn how to check if a celebrity image is real or AI-generated.
Read the guideVerify Dating Photos: Spot Fakes & AI Images
AI-generated profile photos are flooding dating apps. Learn how to check if a dating photo is real or AI-generated before you fall for a scammer.
Read the guideVerify Social Media Profiles: Spot Fake Accounts
Fake social media profiles using AI photos drive romance scams and phishing. Learn how to check if a profile is fake or a bot.
Read the guideGrandparent Scams: AI Voice Cloning Fraud 2026
Scammers use AI voice cloning to call grandparents as their grandchild in crisis. The voice sounds real because it is. Learn how to protect family.
Read the guideWrong Number Text Scam: How It Works & Red Flags
A friendly 'wrong number' text is actually a pig butchering scam opener. Learn how it works, where it leads, and how to protect yourself.
Read the guideCelebrity Impersonator Scams: Spot Them Fast
A family discovers their mother is texting a fake TV celebrity. Learn how celebrity impersonator scams work and how to help someone trapped.
Read the guideOil Rig Romance Scam: Classic Con Still Working
A family shares how their aunt lost thousands to an oil rig romance scam from a gaming app. Learn the warning signs and how to protect loved ones.
Read the guideFake Crypto Platforms: Scam Warning Signs 2026
Fake crypto platforms look identical to real ones. Learn how to verify before you invest a dollar.
Read the guideMother's Day Scams 2026: Scammers Love Your Mom Too (Just Not the Way You Do)
Fake flower shops, gift card traps, and deepfake voice calls targeting moms. Here's every Mother's Day scam trending right now — and how to not fall for them.
Read the guideFrequently asked questions
How accurate are AI image and deepfake detectors in 2026?+
No detector is perfect — generation evolves faster than detection. Cautellus uses multi-layer analysis (latent-space artifacts, frequency-domain signatures, metadata inspection, anatomy checks) that catches most unedited model outputs. The detector returns a confidence score, not a binary verdict — combine it with the defense playbook above for real protection.
How much audio does an AI voice clone need?+
Three seconds. Modern voice-cloning tools can imitate any voice from a brief audio snippet — scraped from TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, voicemail greetings, or recorded phone calls. The "kidnapped child" call is now likely a clone of your actual child's voice.
Can a deepfake fool me on a live video call?+
Yes, and the $25.6M Arup case in Hong Kong (February 2024) proved it can fool sophisticated finance professionals. Real-time deepfakes still break on rapid head turns, fast hand gestures, and questions only the real person would know. Always require both before any money decision.
How do I tell if a dating profile photo is AI-generated?+
Reverse-image search the photo at Google Images or TinEye. AI faces typically appear nowhere else online; stolen real photos appear in many places (the original owner's social media). Then ask for a live video call with gestures (head turn + hand wave) — chatbots and most deepfake setups break under those conditions.
Are celebrity endorsement videos for crypto or supplements ever real?+
Almost never. Real celebrities don't personally message strangers about investment opportunities, crypto giveaways, or supplements. The entire celebrity-endorsement category is now compromised by deepfake — assume any "personal video" from a celebrity is fake by default unless verified through their official verified channels.
Sources: Sumsub Identity Fraud Report 2025 · Hong Kong Police (Arup case) · FBI IC3 2024 Annual Report · Norton Cyber Safety Insights 2025 · McAfee Modern Love Research 2025
Not sure if what you got is a scam?
Paste any text, link, email, or screenshot into the Cautellus scanner for an instant verdict.
Open the scanner