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AI-Driven Scams and Shape-Shifting Malware Push Online Crime to New Highs in 2026

Security researchers say new AI tools let criminals copy people at scale faster than defenders can catch them.

Overview

  • Google researchers say attackers now use Gemini to build tools and do scouting, then switch to deepfake video calls to pose as bosses.
  • One reported case involved a group tied to North Korea using a fake CEO video to get a victim to lower their computer defenses.
  • New malware such as Promptflux can rewrite its own code on the fly with a large language model, which helps it slip past antivirus tools.
  • Vectra AI measured a 1,200% jump in AI scams in 2025, and forecasts put fraud losses near $40 billion by 2027 if growth continues.
  • Cheap kits sold online now bundle phishing sites, cloned voices, and AI video actors, which lets crime rings target people in many languages.