WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FBI is warning Americans of a sharp rise in phone, text-message, and email scams fueled by AI-generated voices, sophisticated spoofing tools, and stolen personal data purchased from online data brokers.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), consumer financial losses from scam calls and digital fraud rose dramatically over the past year — and analysts expect 2025–2026 to be the most dangerous period yet for identity theft, phishing attacks, and impersonation scams.
The Consumer Finance Review Board (CFRB) recently published a comprehensive guide titled
“First Steps to Protect Yourself From Phone, Text, Email & Social Media Scams (2025–2026 Guide)”, explaining exactly how these attacks work and how consumers can defend themselves.
📈 FBI: AI Is Making Scams More Convincing Than Ever
In its most recent public advisory, the FBI notes that criminals are now using:
- AI-generated voice cloning
- Deepfake call scripts
- Caller ID spoofing to impersonate banks, government agencies, and hospitals
- Stolen consumer data purchased from data brokers
- Automated phishing bots
- Mass text-scam delivery systems
This combination allows scammers to sound legitimate, urgent, and personalized, making the fraud much harder to detect.
“Criminals no longer need to guess information — they buy it,” the FBI said in one recent bulletin.
“This enables highly targeted phone and text scams that appear credible and urgent.”
📱 Text Scams + Smishing Attacks Up More Than 300%
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports that smishing — text-message phishing — has surged nationwide.
Common messages include:
- “Your bank account is locked — verify now.”
- “A package is waiting for delivery confirmation.”
- “A relative has been injured — call immediately.”
- “Suspicious activity detected — click to secure your account.”
The CFPB adds that many scams now include personal details stolen from data brokers, making messages appear even more believable.
🎭 Government Impersonation Scams Are Getting More Aggressive
The CFPB and IRS continue to warn about scams where criminals pretend to be:
- The IRS
- Social Security Administration
- Medicare
- Local police departments
- Homeland Security
- Jury duty coordinators
- State or county courts
In many cases, AI voice tools can mimic real agency staff or even family members.
CFRB’s analysis shows that government impersonation scams rely on fear and urgency, often demanding immediate payments via:
- Gift cards
- Bank transfers
- Cryptocurrency
- Zelle or Venmo
Real government agencies never request money through these methods.
💰 Elderly Americans Remain the Primary Target
The FBI Elder Fraud Report continues to highlight staggering losses among seniors, who are frequently targeted through:
- Medicare scams
- “grandparent emergency” scams
- Fake tech support
- Bank impersonation calls
- Romance scams via email or messaging apps
But 2025 trends show scams increasingly impacting young adults, especially via:
- Digital payment fraud
- Social media impersonations
- MFA (multi-factor authentication) bypass scams
- SIM-swap attacks linked to data broker exposure
🔍 CFRB: Why 2025–2026 Is a Turning Point for Digital Fraud
The Consumer Finance Review Board’s new guide explains that the perfect storm driving this wave of fraud includes:
✅ AI tools available to criminals
Anyone with a laptop can now clone a voice, spoof a caller ID, or generate a convincing phishing script.
✅ Massive personal data exposure
Data brokers routinely list names, addresses, phone numbers, relatives, income ranges, emails, and property records — making targeting effortless.
✅ Consumers overwhelmed by notifications
With so many alerts from banks, apps, and services, it’s easy to mistake fake messages for real ones.
✅ Fraudsters adapting faster than institutions
Scams evolve weekly; banks and government agencies update protections slowly.
CFRB’s full article includes:
- Real scam scripts
- Red-flag checklists
- Phone, text, and email examples
- Reporting instructions
- Tools to remove personal data from the internet
- Step-by-step protection guides
🔐 Recommended Tools to Protect Against Scam Targeting
CFRB’s analysts recommend several services to reduce your visibility to criminals. These include:
- Optery – Comprehensive data broker removal
- DeleteMe – Personal information opt-out service
- Kanary – Automated privacy deletion system
- Aura – Identity protection, credit monitoring, VPN
- LifeLock – Identity theft monitoring suite
Removing your personal data online significantly reduces scam attempts.
📞 What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Call or Text
CFRB and federal agencies advise consumers to:
- Hang up immediately
- Do not click any links in text messages
- Do not verify information over the phone
- Call your bank/agency directly using a verified number
- Report fraud to IC3.gov and the FTC
📌 Final Takeaway
The FBI, CFPB, and federal regulators agree:
2025–2026 will be the most critical years for scam awareness and fraud prevention.