- Nearly two-thirds of victims believe AI tools allowed them to experience fraud
- One in ten victims handed over money in just five minutes
- Scammers moved across multiple platforms in 63% of incidents.
Messaging scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated as criminals use AI to imitate trusted people, well-known brands, and everyday conversations.
New research from Kaspersky suggests that these schemes are succeeding at an alarming rate, often convincing victims to hand over money within minutes.
The findings indicate that digital experience alone may no longer provide reliable protection against modern fraud attempts.
AI-powered scams are getting faster and more convincing
The study found that almost two-thirds of scam victims globally, or 64.5%, believed that AI tools played a role in fraud attempts targeting them.
In the United Kingdom, 54% of suspected criminal respondents used deepfakes or synthetic voices to impersonate family members, friends or legitimate organizations, allowing scammers to create convincing scenarios that closely resemble genuine interactions and trusted relationships.
According to the research, more than half of UK victims completed payments or shared sensitive information within 30 minutes of initial contact.
More than 1 in 10 victims, representing 12.2%, did so within five minutes, demonstrating the speed with which these operations take place.
Researchers also found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of incidents were moved across multiple communication platforms, helping scammers maintain credibility and avoid suspicion.
The most common scams involved investment opportunities, which affected 40% of respondents, followed by fake delivery alerts at 38% and brand spoofing schemes at 35%.
Dr. Elisabeth Carter, a forensic linguist and criminologist at Kingston University in London, said scammers create situations that seem completely reasonable at the time.
“Scammers use recognized contexts, familiar social environments, and embedded linguistic norms to make victims feel that their decision-making is rational and reasonable in the moment,” Carter explained.
“What is actually happening is that they construct false realities in which those decisions end up causing economic and psychological damage.”
Financial losses continue to grow as reporting remains low
The financial consequences go beyond isolated incidents, particularly during a period when many households are already facing financial pressures.
Kaspersky found that victims in the UK lose an average of £458.45 per scam, while 9.1% reported losses of more than £1,000, and more than a quarter (28%) said they experienced three or more scam attempts in six months.
Researchers noted that millennials were especially vulnerable to investment-related fraud, with 40% reporting being exposed to financial opportunity schemes.
The study also found that more than half (52%) of all scams occurred during the previous five months, suggesting that the problem continues to accelerate rather than plateau.
Marc Rivero, senior security researcher for Kaspersky’s global research and analysis team, warned that criminal groups are operating on an unprecedented scale.
“AI is accelerating the trend, helping fraudsters convincingly imitate brands, familiar voices and personal relationships,” said Marc Rivero, principal security researcher in Kaspersky’s global research and analysis team.
“Simply being aware is no longer enough protection. People need to recognize the risks sooner, before being pressured into making hasty decisions.”
Security specialists recommend combining caution with technical safeguards, including antivirus software capable of detecting malicious links in real time.
They also encourage stronger credential protection through a password manager and greater awareness of evolving scam tactics.
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