- Almost two-thirds of victims believe that AI tools enabled their fraud experience
- Every ten victims handed over money within just five minutes
- Fraudsters moved across multiple platforms in 63% of incidents
Message fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated as criminals use artificial intelligence to impersonate trusted people, familiar brands and everyday conversations.
New research from Kaspersky suggests that these schemes succeed at an alarming rate, often convincing victims to hand over money within minutes.
The results indicate that digital experience alone may no longer provide reliable protection against modern fraud attempts.
AI-powered fraud is getting faster and more convincing
The survey found that nearly two-thirds of fraud victims globally, or 64.5%, believed that AI tools played a role in the fraud attempts targeting them.
In the UK, 54% of criminal suspects surveyed used deepfakes or synthetic voices to impersonate relatives, friends or legitimate organisations, enabling fraudsters to create convincing scenarios that resemble real interactions and trusted relationships.
According to the survey, more than half of UK victims made payments or shared sensitive information within 30 minutes of the first contact.
More than 1 in 10 victims, representing 12.2%, did so within 5 minutes, showing how quickly these operations are evolving.
Researchers also found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of incidents moved across multiple communication platforms, helping fraudsters maintain credibility while avoiding suspicion.
The most common scams involved investment opportunities, affecting 40% of respondents, followed by false delivery alerts at 38% and brand impersonation schemes at 35%.
Dr. Elisabeth Carter, a forensic linguist and criminologist at Kingston University London, said fraudsters create situations that seem perfectly reasonable at the time.
“Scammers use recognized contexts, familiar social settings, and embedded linguistic norms to make victims feel that their decision-making is rational and reasonable in the moment,” Carter explained.
“What actually happens is they construct false realities where these decisions end up causing financial and psychological damage.”
Economic losses continue to grow as reporting remains low
The economic consequences go beyond isolated incidents, especially at a time when many households are already facing financial pressure.
Kaspersky found that victims in the UK lose an average of £458.45 per scam, while 9.1% reported losses of over £1,000, with more than a quarter (28%) saying they experienced three or more fraud attempts within six months.
Researchers noted that millennials were particularly vulnerable to investment-related fraud, with 40% reporting exposure to financial opportunity schemes.
The survey also found that over half (52%) of all scams occurred during the previous five months, suggesting that the problem continues to accelerate rather than stabilize.
Marc Rivero, Lead Security Researcher at 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 impersonate brands, familiar voices and personal relationships,” said Marc Rivero, Lead Security Researcher at Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team.
“Simply being aware is no longer sufficient protection. People need to recognize risks earlier before they are pressured into hasty decisions.”
Security specialists recommend combining caution with technical security measures, including antivirus software capable of detecting malicious links in real time.
They also encourage stronger credential protection through a password manager and broader awareness of evolving fraud tactics.
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