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Generative AI is helping scammers create convincing messages, synthetic identities and voice impersonations faster, but the decisive warning sign is still the request: money, credentials, a one-time code, or access. Do not rely on typos—or the absence of them—to judge authenticity. Verify unexpected requests through a separate channel you already trust.
Why AI matters to social engineering
Social engineering is the manipulation of a person into taking an action, such as transferring money or revealing account information. Generative AI does not create the tactic; it can make the tactic easier to personalize, scale and disguise. Criminals can use it to draft fluent messages, sustain tailored conversations, or create synthetic profiles and media that support an impersonation.
The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report says AI-enabled synthetic content is becoming harder to detect and easier to make, potentially helping criminals conduct fraud against individuals, businesses and financial institutions. That is a warning about capability, not proof that every scam uses AI or that AI alone caused a particular loss. FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report
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What the reported figures show—and what they do not
In 2025, the FBI IC3 received 22,364 complaints reporting AI-related information and recorded $893,346,472 in adjusted reported losses associated with those complaints. These are U.S. complaint-based figures, not a count of all incidents or a population-level estimate. They do not establish that AI independently caused every reported loss; people may also be unaware whether AI was involved.
| IC3 category, 2025 | Reported figure | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints reporting AI-related information | 22,364 complaints; $893,346,472 in adjusted reported losses | Complaint data associated with AI-related information, not a population prevalence rate. |
| Business email compromise (BEC) scams involving AI | Over $30 million in reported business losses | BEC includes multiple tactics; the report cautions that not all BEC is AI-enabled. |
| Confidence and romance scams with a likely AI nexus | Over $19 million in reported losses | Reported losses in cases with a likely AI connection. |
| Distress scams | Over $5 million in claimed losses | Includes scams that use voice cloning to imitate a loved one. |
| Investment complaints with a reported AI nexus | $632,041,188 in reported losses | The report contrasts this with more than $8 billion in total investment-scam losses and notes that many victims may not know whether AI was involved. |
These figures describe reported U.S. complaints in 2025. They should not be combined with European threat assessments to imply a global rate: the sources have different geographic scopes and methods. No verified population-level prevalence statistic is established by these figures.
How an AI-assisted scam can reach you
The channel may change, but the underlying pattern is often the same: establish trust, create pressure or opportunity, then ask for a consequential action. A polished message, familiar voice or realistic video is not proof that the sender is genuine.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →| Channel | Trust cue or pretext | Possible requested action | Safer verification route |
|---|---|---|---|
| A plausible colleague, executive, bank or service contact; fluent writing is easy to produce. | Pay an invoice, change payment details, disclose credentials or open a link. | Confirm through a known phone number or established internal process, not by replying to the email. | |
| Text or messaging app | A familiar name, urgent problem, authority claim or request to continue on another platform. | Click a link, install an app, share a code or send money. | Contact the person independently using a number or account you already know. |
| Voice call or voice message | A voice that sounds like a relative, colleague or official, paired with urgency or secrecy. | Send money, reveal information or act before checking. | End the call and call back using a trusted, previously saved number. A family verification phrase can help. |
| Social profile or online conversation | A convincing identity, rapport-building or a seemingly lucrative opportunity. | Move to private messaging, invest, transfer funds or share personal information. | Verify identity and claims independently; do not treat a polished profile or long conversation as authentication. |
| Video | A realistic-looking person appears to make a request or confirm an identity. | Authorize a payment, share account access or disclose sensitive information. | Confirm the request through a separate trusted channel rather than relying on the video alone. |
In a May 15, 2025 alert, the FBI described a campaign in which texts and AI-generated voice messages impersonated senior U.S. officials, built rapport, then steered targets toward another messaging platform or a malicious link. The FBI cautioned: “If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior U.S. official, do not assume it is authentic.” FBI alert, May 15, 2025
Can you tell whether a message, voice or video is AI-generated?
Sometimes media has clues—odd shadows, distorted features, voice lag or unnatural movement—but these are warning signs, not a dependable test. Real media can look or sound imperfect, and synthetic media can be convincing. The FBI says AI content can be difficult to identify and cloned voices can sound nearly identical to known contacts.
Instead of trying to diagnose the media, assess the request. Is the contact asking for money, a cryptocurrency or gift-card transfer, a password, a recovery link, a one-time authentication code, an app installation, or a change to payment or account details? Treat an unexpected high-stakes request as unverified until you confirm it independently.
What to do when a request feels urgent or unusual
- Pause the interaction. Do not click, install, pay, share a code or disclose information while the request is unverified. Urgency is a reason to slow down, not skip checks.
- End the contact and verify separately. Call the person or organization at a number you already have, or use an established official route. Do not use contact details, links or callback numbers supplied in the suspicious message.
- Confirm the exact action. For a payment, verify the amount, recipient and account details through a trusted process. For an account alert, open the service using its known app or address rather than the message link.
- Protect authentication information. Never share passwords, recovery links or one-time MFA codes with a caller or correspondent. Enable multifactor authentication where available.
- Agree on a family check. A private phrase or word can help verify an emergency request, especially one made by voice. Keep it private and do not send it in the same channel as the suspicious request.
What organizations should change
The risk is broader than better-written phishing email. The FBI’s impersonation alert describes attempts to obtain access and move targets to malicious links, while stolen contact networks can support further impersonation. CERT-EU’s 2025 threat review says social engineering is expanding beyond email, with voice phishing and AI-generated deepfakes gaining ground. Europol’s 2026 assessment summary likewise says criminals increasingly use generative AI to tailor social-engineering tactics and accelerate and conceal online fraud. CERT-EU 2025 threat review · European Commission summary of Europol IOCTA 2026
Organizations can make verification part of routine operations rather than leaving it to an employee’s ability to spot a fake. Useful practices include:
- Require independent confirmation for payment instructions, bank-detail changes and sensitive account changes, using a known contact route.
- Train staff to pause and verify urgent requests across email, text, voice and video—not just to look for spelling errors or suspicious formatting.
- Use multifactor authentication, and consider phishing-resistant MFA as part of a broader security program. CERT-EU identifies phishing-resistant MFA among defensive priorities; no single control stops every scam.
- Provide a clear way to report suspected impersonation quickly, so staff can alert the security team and warn affected colleagues or contacts.
Sources and scope
The IC3 figures above concern complaints made to a U.S. reporting center in 2025. The European Commission summary describes the EU-focused Europol IOCTA 2026, while CERT-EU’s threat review concerns threats affecting Union entities and their ecosystem. Their findings support the view that AI is helping diversify and accelerate social engineering, but they do not establish a single worldwide prevalence figure.
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