With online fraud figures soaring, protect yourself online by learning about the latest internet scams and how to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
Online fraud is a major problem in 2025, and if you use the internet in any capacity – whether that’s for doing your Black Friday shopping, looking for a new job or simply connecting with friends and family on social media – then you are in serious danger of being scammed. Criminals are becoming more and more sophisticated in their methods of conning people using the Web, with burgeoning technologies such as AI, QR codes and spyware facilitating their devious activities.
How big a problem is online fraud?
The National Crime Agency estimates that 67% of all fraud reported in the UK is now cyber-enabled. And new research by the charity Independent Age shows that older people are among the biggest victims, with nearly three in five over-65s having been the target of an online scam. Terrifyingly, those who have been scammed have lost an average of £4,000 each.
With all of this in mind, it’s hugely important that we remain vigilant while using the internet. But how can we reduce our chances of being caught out by these faceless fraudsters? In this article, we’ll highlight some of the latest scams that have been doing the rounds, and give you some advice on how to protect yourself when using your phone, tablet or laptop.
Credit: Getty Images
What are the latest online scams?
AI-based scams
Artificial intelligence has exploded in the past couple of years, and while this new technology brings many potential benefits, it’s also given online scammers a powerful new tool to work with. Using AI, criminals can create remarkably authentic materials with which to dupe or alarm those that they target: for example, authoritative-sounding emails claiming to be from banks or debt collection agencies, or high-quality social media adverts for bogus investment opportunities.
More concerning still is the ability to create ‘deep fakes’. With nothing more than a head shot – easily found on a social media page – criminals can conjure up photos and videos designed to exploit their victims. In 2023, journalist Becca Caddy told Stylist how she’d been emailed deep-fake nudes of herself, along with a note demanding a substantial ransom in Bitcoin.
AI voice cloning works along the same lines, with criminals using short snippets of people’s voices – obtained during scam phone calls – to create realistic voice messages for sending to the victim’s friends and family. The message might be along the lines of: “Mum, my car has broken down. Can you send some money to me by clicking this link?” In extreme cases, criminals may try something called ‘virtual kidnapping’, where they send a voice note to their victim mimicking a friend or family member claiming to have been snatched and asking for a ransom in order to be released.
In a recent survey carried out by online security company McAfee, one in four of the 7,000 people polled said they’d experienced a voice cloning scam or knew someone who had, with 70% of respondents admitting they weren’t confident they could tell the difference between a real voice and a cloned one.
How to avoid AI-based scams
- If you’re worried about criminals using photos of your face, set your social media profiles to private, meaning that only trusted friends and family can view them.
- To prevent fraudsters from cloning your voice, ignore scam phone calls if possible. Only answer if you recognise the number. If the call is from a genuine person, they will leave a message.
- If you receive a message claiming to be from a friend or family member, call them on their usual number straightaway to check if it’s really them. Do not engage with the unrecognised number.
- If you receive a ‘deep-fake’ photo or video of yourself, along with a ransom note, do not give in to the scammer’s demands. Contact Action Fraud, or the police, immediately.
Credit: Getty Images
QR code jacking
Quick response (QR) codes are commonplace nowadays, cropping up on everything from posters to parking meters. The premise is simple – scan a QR code using your smartphone camera and you’ll be directed to a digital destination, enabling you to gain more information, register for something or pay for a service. As with many things in the online sphere, though, the technology has been hijacked for nefarious purposes. In one high-profile case, a woman on Teesside was scammed out of £13,000 after criminals covered a genuine QR code at a train station with one of their own, tricking the victim into paying money into their bank account.
How to avoid Q4 code jacking scams
- Be wary of QR codes that have been ‘stuck on’ to existing posters or signage, as these may have been placed there by criminals.
- Don’t scan QR codes that have come from an unsolicited email or text message.
- Use a trusted QR code scanner app with built-in security features, such as TrendMicro Safe QR Code Reader (iOS and Android).
- If you do scan a QR code, check that the URL you are being directed to has a valid HTTPS certificate (look for the prefix https://) and looks familiar.
Fake websites
It’s very easy for criminals to create authentic-looking websites that dupe people into parting with their cash. These often come in the form of online stores – advertised on social media – where consumers pay for products that ultimately don’t turn up, and unwittingly hand over their bank details in the process. It’s even more likely that you’ll come across one of these scams during a major retail event such as Black Friday, so be on your guard.
How to detect fake websites
- Be wary of sites that offer unusually cheap products (remember, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is).
- Where possible, stick to brands that you know and have used before. Even this can come with hazards, though, as criminals have a knack of using URLs that look very similar to those of renowned companies. So check carefully before clicking.
- If you are tempted to buy something from a brand you don’t recognise, use a domain checker tool to see when the domain was registered. If it was very recently, this can be a cause for concern. Shopify recently offered some advice on how to find the domain history of any URL.
- If you do buy something, never pay with a bank transfer. If possible, use a credit card rather than a debit card, as they come with better fraud protection.
Credit: Getty Images
Malicious apps
Similar to fake websites, malicious apps (sometimes known as spyware) are created by criminals specifically with the intention of stealing the user’s bank details and/or identity. They can seem bona fide on the surface – scammers sometimes add fake reviews to make them look highly rated by customers. But once you’ve installed them on your device, they get to work trying to retrieve sensitive information, such as login details, browsing history and credit card numbers.
How to detect malicious apps
- Only download apps from official sources.
- If you’ve installed an app and you notice that your device is behaving erratically – for example, running very slowly, crashing or using up a lot of data – that can be a telltale sign that the app is malicious.
- Check for unexpected charges on your bank statement. Even very small transactions can be a sign that your security has been compromised.
- Immediately delete any apps that you’re suspicious of.
What else can you do to protect yourself from online fraud?
Unfortunately, online fraud is one of the pitfalls of modern life, and even the most careful people can fall victim to it at some point. If it happens to you, you may well feel a sense of vulnerability and betrayal, but just remember that you’re not alone – talk to Action Fraud, or the police, about any concerns that you have.
If you’ve fallen victim to a financial scam – however big or small – you may also be able to retrieve your loss. Contact your bank or building society’s fraud team to find out how they can help.
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