592/69 Friday, October 30, 2026
A recent report from Akamai found that detected online scams doubled between July 2025 and June 2026, marking the first time this type of fraud has surpassed phishing attacks in volume. The shift reflects how threat actors are increasingly focusing on directly monetizing victims through fake online stores, investment scams, impersonation of IT support personnel, and payment fraud. The trend affects both organizations, which must respond to increasingly interconnected threats, and individual users, who remain primary targets of online fraud.
According to the report, the number of detected online scams increased from 3.2 million in the third quarter of 2025 to 6.4 million in the second quarter of 2026. Phishing activity also continued to rise, increasing by 61%, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) playing a key role by helping attackers generate deceptive content in multiple languages and rapidly modify campaigns to evade security controls. As a result, the average lifespan of phishing campaigns reportedly decreased from 48 days to 22 days. Beyond the technical impact, data from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) also highlighted serious psychological consequences, reporting that more than 80% of surveyed victims in the United States experienced severe distress, including thoughts of self-harm. In some cases, inadequate support from relevant institutions led victims to seek assistance from third parties claiming they could recover stolen funds or apprehend criminals, creating additional opportunities for secondary fraud.
Given this trend, combating online fraud has become an important cybersecurity priority requiring coordinated action across organizations and sectors. Security teams should consider using AI-assisted technologies to detect anomalies and automate evidence collection, helping reduce the time needed to investigate and disrupt fraudulent activity before users are affected. Individual users and administrators should carefully verify the legitimacy of websites and communications and avoid acting on messages that create urgency around financial transactions. If an individual or organization becomes a victim, they should contact official authorities or financial institutions directly to request account restrictions and initiate an investigation, while avoiding payments to third parties that claim they can recover lost funds in exchange for upfront fees.
Source: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/online-scam-volumes-double/