More than half of internet users worldwide encountered online fraud over the past year, while nearly one in two suffered cyberattacks targeting their devices, accounts or personal data, according to a new survey released by Kaspersky,a cybersecurity firm.
The findings underscore the growing sophistication of cybercrime as artificial intelligence increasingly enables fraudsters to launch more convincing and targeted attacks across digital platforms.
According to Kaspersky’s latest global survey, 56 percent of respondents said they had experienced online scams or fraud in the past 12 months. An additional 45 percent reported falling victim to attacks affecting their devices, online accounts or sensitive data, including social media account compromises, malware infections and data leaks.
The company said cybercriminals are now exploiting virtually every online interaction, from emails and messaging platforms to social media, shopping websites and mobile applications, making scams increasingly difficult for users to detect.
The scale of the threat was reflected in the first quarter of 2026 alone, when Kaspersky’s anti-phishing technologies blocked more than 140 million phishing and scam attempts globally, highlighting the growing prevalence of malicious online campaigns.
Cybersecurity experts at the company noted that fraudsters are becoming more opportunistic, quickly adapting to major global events and trending topics to deceive unsuspecting users.
One recent example was the surge in scam campaigns linked to the 2026 World Cup. In March, Kaspersky detected fraudulent websites masquerading as official tournament platforms or using the sporting event to lure users into unsafe transactions and other malicious activities.
The company explained that its threat detection systems rely on a combination of machine learning, pattern recognition and real-time threat analysis to identify a broad range of online scams, including phishing pages, fake online stores, cryptocurrency fraud and other schemes designed to steal money or personal information.
Kaspersky also warned that many of today’s scam campaigns are fuelled by personal information obtained through previous data breaches, infostealer malware, compromised online accounts and other forms of digital exposure.
By combining stolen personal data with AI-generated content, fraudsters are increasingly able to create personalised phishing messages, impersonate trusted contacts and produce scams that appear more authentic, significantly increasing the chances of deceiving victims.
To address these evolving threats, the cybersecurity company said its premium security platform integrates several protection tools, including data leak monitoring, identity theft detection, password management and behaviour-based threat detection technologies.
The company added that its Windows and macOS applications now feature a dedicated AI-powered Scam Protection section, bringing these capabilities together in a single interface to make them easier for users to access. On mobile devices, the protection features continue to operate automatically in the background.
Commenting on the findings, Marina Titova, vice president for Consumer Business at Kaspersky, said AI-powered scams have become an unavoidable reality for internet users.
“AI-generated scams are growing in both sophistication and volume, appearing everywhere from fake ticketing websites to messages impersonating friends on chat platforms. They are increasingly capable of deceiving even experienced users,” she said.
She stressed that as cybercriminals continue to leverage AI to refine their tactics, consumers must adopt stronger digital security practices and rely on advanced protection technologies to safeguard their personal information and online identities.
