A survey by TransUnion has found that 70% of UK consumers have received scam messages appearing to come from trusted sources such as delivery firms, banks or government bodies. Royal Mail (40%) and Evri (38%) were the most impersonated brands, with fake parcel delivery texts remaining the most common tactic.
Over half of respondents (56%) believed artificial intelligence was used in the scams, such as cloned voices or realistic emails. Around 9% of victims lost money, with more than one in 10 of those losing at least £1,000. Younger people relying on mobile messaging were shown to be particularly at risk.
Experts warn AI is making scams harder to detect, with messages and websites now almost indistinguishable from genuine communications. TransUnion and Adyen both urged consumers to stay vigilant, highlighting that stolen details can be used for wider account takeovers and further fraud.