U.S. victims of AI-enabled scams lost nearly $900 million dollars last year, according to data from the FBI.
AI fraud cases were up 1,210% in 2025, well above traditional fraud, which still saw a 195% increase. Phishing and spoofing scams, enhanced by AI, were up 85%, with average financial losses rising from $1,000 to $2,060, according to a report from the National Consumers League.
Among Americans, 85% now say they fear falling victim to AI-powered fraud, according to an Alloy survey.
"AI scams are becoming more and more sophisticated with fraudsters now able to easily impersonate banks, government officials, brokers and trading platforms with convincing accuracy," said Adam Nasli, head broker analyst with BrokerChooser. "Consumers need to equip themselves with the knowledge to distinguish what is real from what is not, as victims can be pushed into rushed investment decisions under the belief that they are speaking to a genuine market expert or receiving legitimate time-sensitive opportunities."
Scammers create pressure to force consumers to act immediately, Nasli said, so it's always best to slow down and take a moment to question, test and verify the identity of any caller making an attractive offer. If a caller's details can't be independently verified online, it's likely a scam.
The slideshow above highlights four ways to spot an AI scam according to BrokerChooser.
Photo credit: Zapp2Photo/Shutterstock.com
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