Five of the Biggest Scams to Watch for in 2026 

2. Recovery scams 

Getting scammed is horrendous. Getting re-scammed may be worse. That’s what happens with recovery scams: Criminals promise to help victims recoup their losses and charge fees for their nonexistent services.

“I think we’re going to see a lot of recovery scams,” Nofziger says of 2026, pointing to the continued growth of scams as a whole, particularly pig-butchering or financial-grooming scams (criminals, usually based overseas, carefully foster an online relationship with a victim to create feelings of trust, then lure them into bogus cryptocurrency investments). Once victims realize they’re in the midst of a scam, they often tell the criminals that they’re calling the police. The criminals note this — “They probably record every conversation,” Nofziger says — then follow up weeks later posing as someone from law enforcement, a consumer advocacy organization, a law firm or a government agency. 

How to stay safe: 

• Watch for upfront fees. Criminals may charge in advance for their fake services and ask you to pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or Venmo.
• Beware of phony checks. Scammers will sometimes send a counterfeit check, often for more than what you lost, the FTC notes. Then they’ll say they overpaid and instruct you to return the balance.
• Do your homework. Search the recovery firm’s name using keywords such as “scam,” “fraud” or “complaint.”

3. Digital arrest

The process is terrifying. You receive a call saying that you’re the subject of a criminal investigation. It might be a police officer charging you with money laundering. Or maybe it’s a customs official claiming they intercepted drugs en route to your home. Bogus law enforcement officers then interrogate you on video calls, not just for hours, but days, as they threaten you with criminal charges and pressure you to pay settlements or fines.

“It’s a terror-based scam that involves holding a person digitally captive,” says Frank McKenna, chief fraud strategist with Point Predictive in San Diego, California. “They’ll get you in a video call, and they won’t let you go — they’ll basically transfer you from person to person.”

Digital arrest is an enormous problem in India that’s starting to spread to the United States, McKenna says. In India, digital arrest scams and related cybercrimes nearly tripled from 2022 to 2024, the Indian government reported in March 2025. In September, a retired doctor in Hyderabad died from a heart attack after enduring nearly 70 hours of digital arrest and constant video surveillance, India Today reported.  

Scammers use AI “to create deepfake videos and forged documents, including court orders or arrest warrants, to deceive victims by making their threats appear more credible,” according to ISACA, an association for information systems/information technology professionals.

Unlike a romance scam, where criminals may spend months building a rapport with their victims, scammers use intimidation and threats to steal your money. Such scare tactics are increasingly appearing in a growing number of scams.

“We’re seeing a lot more overzealous threats to victims,” Nofziger says. “Very aggressive: ‘I’m going to kill you. I’m going to kill your family.’ We’ve had victims who have gotten pictures of dead bodies and pictures of car accidents saying, ‘This is what’s going to happen to you.’ ” 

How to stay safe:

• Hang up. “Law enforcement doesn’t call people and threaten to arrest them,” McKenna says. “If you get a call like this, hang up.”
• Remember how the system works. Court orders or arrest warrants are not delivered through phone calls, emails or social media messages, ISACA notes.

 4. “Hello pervert” scams

Most scams aren’t new. They’re often old frauds that resurface with new twists. That’s the case with a “Hello pervert” scam. Criminals email to say they’ve hacked your computer and recorded you visiting porn sites. If you don’t pay them, they’ll share evidence of your naughty behavior with your email contact list. To increase the pressure, scammers might include photos of your home (to make you feel like you’re being watched) and spoof your email address, so it appears that the blackmailer is contacting you via your own email account, according to Malwarebytes, a cyber protection company.

“We’ve seen a spike in these ‘I know what you’re doing on your computer’ kind of scams,” says AARP’s Nofziger. One possible reason is the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Scammers often exploit subjects that dominate the news (heavy media coverage about bankruptcies, for example, might lead to bankruptcy scams). Such scams also tend to follow data breaches. Scammers obtain personal info, which makes the threat seem more legitimate.   

“These are highly personalized messages that scammers use to extort you based on information they find in data breaches,” McKenna says.

How to stay safe: 

• Don’t take the bait. “These messages are not real,” says McKenna. “The best thing is to delete them and not respond.” Also, if you reply, the scammers know that your email address is active — and they’ll likely send more messages.
• Never open attachments from unsolicited emails. Blackmail messages are frequently sent as PDFs to bypass phishing filters.
• Stay calm. Blackmailers may demand payment within 24 hours, but urgency is a frequent scam tactic. When we panic and act rashly, we make poor decisions.

5. Romance scams

Romance scams aren’t new, either, but they are Nofziger’s most significant concern for 2026 because of their relentlessness and prevalence — and the devastation that often follows. They follow a familiar pattern. A scammer, frequently known as a catfisher, assumes a false identity and forms relationships with victims through dating apps, messaging apps and social media. Once they establish trust, they will ask for money or suggest investments in cryptocurrency.  

Some scammers attempt to build connections by leveraging mutual interests, which they can easily find through your social media accounts. If you’re in a running group, the scammer might claim to be a runner too. If you recently traveled to Paris, the criminal will share their own experience strolling the Champs-Élysées. They might also profess to be a long-lost friend.

“We’re starting to call them friendship scams instead of romance scams, because a lot of times now it’s somebody wanting to be your friend and talking you up,” says McGovern. “And then there’s the ask of, ‘Hey, I’m investing in this great crypto platform. You should get involved too.’ ”

How to stay safe:

• Ignore wrong numbers. Scammers will sometimes call or text seemingly by mistake. Once you respond, they’ll start a conversation.
• Stay on the platform. Your new friend may want to move the conversation from a dating app or social media site to an alternative, such as WhatsApp. The reason: They don’t want the conversation to be monitored by a platform’s scam-seeking algorithms.
• Understand love bombing. It’s a common tactic: Someone overwhelms you with over-the-top adoration and affection, usually in the very early stages of a relationship. Love bombing isn’t normal — and it’s a way for scammers to control the relationship.
• Ask to meet in person. If someone can never meet face-to-face, that’s a red flag.

More information

If you are a scam victim or have questions about scams and fraud, you can call the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 for advice and support.