Scams are evolving rapidly and 2026 will mark a major turning point. Fraud is becoming faster, smarter, and harder to detect as cybercriminals leverage automation and AI. Experts predict that in 2026 scams will shift from isolated incidents into connected ecosystems. In this article, we break down the findings from Trend Micro 2026 Scam Prediction Report to help you stay ahead of emerging threats.
Key Trends for 2026
Trend Micro’s research highlights several emerging trends that will shape the scam landscape in 2026. Fraud is no longer opportunistic but has become industrialised, combing advanced technology with emotion and psychological manipulation.
High impact scams such as romance and investment fraud will continue to drive the largest financial losses, while high-volume impersonation scams will dominate daily exposure. Automation will accelerate fraud cycles from weeks to mere hours.
1. Multi-Channel Fraud Becomes the Standard
Muli-Channel Fraud refers to scams that move across platforms.
- Starts with a friendly message on a dating app or social network.
- Shifts to private chat apps to build trust.
- Ends with victims being lured into fake investment or crypto sites that look legitimate, the website and scammer disappearing once withdrawals fail.
96% of these fraudulent sites disappear within 24 hours, making detection and takedown harder.
2. Relationship & Investment Scams Drive Record Losses
Investment and relationship-based fraud are the most financially damaging scams, and this will continue to surge in 2026. Romance scams account for 16.6% of all SMS fraud.
Criminals will:
- Use emotional manipulation to build trust.
- Introduce “exclusive investment opportunities” once trust is established.
- The investments are often linked to crypto wallets or high-yield trading schemes.
In addition, harassment, sextortion, and face-swapping sextortion is a fast-growing harm vector, caused by the rise of AI-generated sexualised imagery.
3. AI Deception Goes Mainstream
AI will underpin nearly every major scam type by using:
- Agentic AI, which is an autonomous system that researches targets, composes messages, and pivots strategies without human intervention
- Semi-autonomous “fraud bots” that impersonate support staff, conduct outreach at scale and optimise social engineering
Services like these lower the barrier to entry for criminals, enabling mass-produced, high-quality scams at a scale.
"AI is becoming the backbone of modern scams, not because it reasons but because it works tirelessly to support human deception at scale.”
4. Instant-Payment Fraud Surges
Instant-payment and peer-to-peer apps (PayPal, Venmo, CashApp) enable authorised push-payment (APP) fraud, when criminals manipulate victims into authorised transfers to fraudulent accounts.
Analysts expect fraud to rise as:
- AI tools are increasingly used to mimic a contact’s voice or writing style
- These apps are becoming standardised for a wider variety of transactions
Scammers use pressure tactics to make victims act fast before verifying.
5. Everyday Impersonation Persists
Fake messages mimicking couriers, retailers, and subscription services will continue to flood inboxes and SMS in 2026.
Reasons for success:
- The use of AI assistants and similar tools increases the speed of e-commerce
- Cybercriminals use SMS templates and “smishing kits” to generate messages at a scale across multiple countries.
- These scams are becoming localised, targeting micro and nano influencers.
58% of scams are shipping/billing impersonation.
Red Flags to Look Out for
Traditional advice like “check for spelling errors” is no longer enough. Scammers are using AI to create flawless messages in multiple languages.
Be alert for:
- Requests to move conversations to WhatsApp or similar messaging apps
- Emotional manipulation through urgency, love or fear.
- Unverified identities or suspicious sender details.
What Can You Do?
- Verify links and requests through official channels
- Enable multi-factor authentication wherever available
- Monitor financial accounts regularly
- Educate yourself and your team
- Verify before responding; Only 38% of consumers stated they always check suspicious links before responding
Scams in 2026 will be faster, smarter, and far more emotionally manipulative. Staying ahead requires a proactive approach that prioritises identity verification, continuous security awareness training, and strategic partnerships with trusted experts. By taking these steps, organisations can build resilience and reduce the risk of falling victim to increasingly sophisticated fraud.
Concord IT is ready to help you strengthen your defences and stay ahead of evolving threats. Contact us today to learn how we can support your security strategy.
