The 10 fastest growing scams of 2024 have been exposed: from fake parcel messages to celebrity deepfakes

Fake parcel delivery text messages are the fastest growing scam of the year, a new study has found. In 2024, one in four adults was targeted by this type of scam.

Social media scams and AI voice cloning were the other fastest growing disadvantages faced by Brits this year, with 30 percent of people reporting these types of scams.

Around 42 per cent of people have been targeted by scams in the past 12 months, NatWest research shows.

Criminals stole £570 million through scams in the first half of 2024, with fraudsters targeting adults an average of four and a half times a month.

What are the fastest growing scams?

1. Fake package delivery text messages

Fake parcel delivery text messages were the fastest growing scam in 2024, affecting 30 percent of people in the past 12 months, according to NatWest.

Fake package delivery text messages involve scammers sending fake package delivery notifications, asking the recipient to click a link to reschedule delivery or pay a fee.

The link often leads to a phishing site designed to steal personal information or install malware on the victim’s device.

2. Social media marketplaces

Around 30 percent of Britons have been targeted by this type of scam in the past 12 months. They occur when criminals use social media platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, Instagram or TikTok to advertise and sell products that do not exist.

They create fake profiles to advertise popular and in-demand goods (often using stolen photos of real sellers) and list attractive offers to entice victims to make purchases.

Once payment is made, the promised goods never arrive and the fake account disappears.

3. AI voice cloning

This was the third fastest growing scam in 2024, affecting one in three people last year.

An AI voice cloning scam is an advanced type of scam where fraudsters use voice cloning technology to replicate a person’s voice from a short audio clip.

Fraudsters can cheaply and easily capture and create an audio deepfake online in minutes.

Deepfakes are audio clips, videos and photos that imitate a real person.

4. Request for money from friend or family

In these types of scams, scammers will pose as someone you know and urgently ask you for money, often via phone, email or social media, to abuse your trust in the knowledge that you are more likely to transfer the money if this is the case. is for someone you know.

These types of scams were reported by 29 percent of people in the past 12 months.

5. Fake tickets

Scammers sell fake or non-existent tickets for popular events, such as performances, concerts or sports matches. Victims buy tickets online or through social media, only to discover that the tickets are invalid or never arrive.

AI is helping fraudsters pull off convincing music and sports ticket fraud like never before. This is because scammers can now automate and optimize their processes, allowing them to create scams more convincingly and in greater numbers.

According to NatWest, 28 percent of Brits reported that they had been targeted by scammers through ticket scams in the past 12 months.

6. Assistance with living expenses

Scammers use these types of scams to exploit individuals’ financial vulnerabilities by offering bogus assistance programs, grants, or loans to help with living expenses, then steal the money or use the information for identity theft.

7. Tax credit

Criminals send fraudulent emails, calls or texts offering fake tax credits, claiming people need a refund or asking them to apply for one – aimed at stealing personal information or money.

8. Refund scams

These types of scams happen when scammers claim you are owed a refund to steal your personal or financial information.

They may contact you by phone, email, or text message and pretend to be a legitimate entity to trick you into disclosing sensitive data or sending money.

9. Celebrity deepfakes

Criminals create deepfake videos using AI from celebrities or trusted brands such as news media to promote fraudulent schemes such as investment opportunities.

NatWest found that 86 percent of people are concerned that rapid developments in AI will give scammers new ways to scam people – with 59 percent of adults also saying they think identifying AI-based scams becomes increasingly difficult.

10. Get rich quick with investments

Get rich quick investments are fraudulent schemes that promise high returns in a short time with little risk or effort.

Scammers often use persuasive tactics and fabricated success stories to entice individuals to invest their money.

Stuart Skinner, fraud expert at NatWest, says: ‘Be wary of urgent messages or messages asking for payments or to download an app; these often contain spyware. Or it could be the first step for the criminals to contact you later to continue the scam in another way.

‘Do you look at offers on social media? Do you really know who you’re giving your payment information to when you click through an ad on a social media platform? Double check with your friends or family for a second opinion.

“If you get a phone call that sounds like it’s from a friend or family member asking for money or personal information, take a break. Hang up and call them back on a number you know is legitimate. And remember: don’t trust the number that shows up on your caller ID; scammers can also imitate that.’

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