AI-Driven Scams Cost Americans Billions, Target Seniors

Artificial intelligence is being weaponized by cybercriminals to produce highly personalized scams. Scammers now use AI to clone voices, generate realistic videos, build fake websites that rank highly in search results, and craft flawless phishing emails. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded more than 22,000 AI‑related complaints in the last year, with victims reporting about $890 million in losses.

Overall cybercrime cost Americans nearly $21 billion in 2025, and people aged 60 and older accounted for $7.7 billion of that total, according to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report. Experts such as Ron Kerbs, founder of scam‑detection service Kidas, warn that urgency – not poor grammar – is the new red flag. Imran Sheikh of TrendLife and Subhajeet Singha of Acronis stress the need for continual software updates and caution when any message demands immediate action, passwords, or payments.