Crooks are always looking for ways to use new technology to commit crimes.

“The world is just filled with con artists who relentlessly look to steal your money,” Kevin Brasler, executive editor of Washington Consumers’ Checkbook, said. “These days they’re using AI to create really sophisticated looking scams.”

The attempts come in the forms of convincing fake websites, emails, texts, audio and video, which arrive on your phone or computer.

Fraud losses reported to the Federal Trade Commission hit a record $15.9 billion in 2025, up 27% from the previous year. The FTC’s “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2025” reports that investment scams, romance scams, crypto scams and impostor scams are driving much of the increase.

“The first rule of protecting yourself against fraud is to be skeptical; I mean, question everything,” Brasler said. “Assume that calls, texts and emails you get from what seem like your financial institutions or businesses you might deal with are fake.”