Here's a number that stopped us cold: 1 in 4 Americans received a deepfake voice call in the past year. That's according to the State of the Call 2026 report released earlier this month.

These aren't robocalls with bad accents. They're AI-generated voices that sound exactly like your grandson, your boss, or your bank's fraud department.

One survey respondent shared this: "My 90-year-old mother received a scam call with a deepfake voice of her grandson asking for money. She refused to answer the phone unless someone was there with her for many months."

The calls work because they feel real. The voice has the right tone, the right emotion, the right panic. And 77% of people who engaged with these calls lost money. For seniors, the average loss was $1,298.

What to do: If you get an urgent call from a loved one asking for money, hang up and call them back on a number you know. Create a family code word only your real family would know. AI can clone a voice. It can't clone your inside jokes.

This one's simple but powerful: If you didn't request it, don't share it.

A verification code (sometimes called an OTP) is your digital signature. It proves you're you. Scammers know this. So here's what they do:

They try to log into your account. The system sends YOU the code. Then they call or text, pretending to be your bank, Amazon, or tech support. They create urgency. They ask you to "confirm" the code.

The moment you share it, they're in.

This scam is surging because it doesn't require hacking. It requires you to hand over the key. And because codes feel routine, people share them without thinking.

The rule: No legitimate company will ever ask you to read back a code they sent you. If someone asks, it's a scam. Every time.

The FIFA World Cup starts in June. The scammers started months ago.

The FTC just issued a warning: Over 4,300 fake FIFA-related domains have been registered since August. These sites look legit. They have FIFA logos, host city names, even SSL certificates. But they exist to steal your money and personal data.

Here's what to know:

20 million people entered the ticket lottery. Most didn't win. Scammers are counting on that desperation.

The rule: Buy only from fifa.com/tickets or FIFA's official resale marketplace. Anything else is a gamble you'll probably lose.

One of our readers shared this one: She got an email from what looked like a recruiter at a well-known company. They said they found her profile on LinkedIn and wanted her resume for a "great opportunity."

The catch? The email came from [email protected]. Not a company domain. A free Gmail account.

This is textbook. Employment scams are surging in 2026 as layoffs hit 1.17 million last year. Scammers scrape LinkedIn for anyone with "Open to Work" on their profile. They craft emails that reference your actual job history and skills. They ask for your resume, then your phone number, then your bank details for "direct deposit setup."

Red flags to watch:

The rule: Real recruiters use company email addresses. If someone claims to represent a Fortune 500 company from a Gmail account, delete it.