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Sadly, Britain’s scam epidemic has continued apace into 2024, with more innocent victims being robbed of their money.
And with the rise of AI making fraud increasingly difficult to detect, more people could find themselves in trouble in the new year.
About 79 percent of 1,200 experts surveyed by fraud prevention firm GBG said they had seen a significant increase in the sophistication of fraudulent attacks over the past year.
And 96 per cent were concerned that scammers were using increasingly “industrialised” techniques to scam as many victims as possible.
Baz Thompson, head of fraud and investigations at Metro Bank, said: “Fraud is always evolving and with criminals now exploiting artificial intelligence and machine learning, our expectation is that scams will become increasingly sophisticated.”
Thompson warns that while there are interim measures to help prevent fraud, people should be wary of becoming victims despite the measures taken by companies.
Year of opportunity: Scammers are using AI technology to fleece victims
It says: ‘Our systems have to constantly evolve to protect our customers, but we remind all consumers and businesses to be wary of anything that seems too good to be true.
“Think twice before sharing any financial or personal information to help protect yourself.”
To help you stay safe, we’ve rounded up the scams people should watch out for in 2025.
Facebook Marketplace Scams
Tools like Facebook Marketplace can be incredibly helpful when it comes to sorting through clutter or getting a good deal on a used item.
Especially after Christmas, many take to social media to give unwanted gifts a new home. But unfortunately, scammers lurk.
According to Metro Bank, scammers are likely offering products on the site that do not actually exist.
“Over the past 12 months we have seen an increase in fraudulent merchants offering products for sale at attractive prices and then convincing customers to purchase them,” Metro Bank said.
Often, fraudulent sellers will try to trick you with offers that might be too good to be true. They will then ask you to pay by card before picking them up and leave you empty-handed.
To avoid these types of scams, try to only pay when you pick up the items, ensuring you get what you expect.
The same goes for buyers who ask you to post the items before paying, as you may never receive the promised payment.
Phishing scams
Perhaps the most familiar of the scams on this list, phishing scams, involve scammers contacting victims posing as “trusted” sources of information.
In many cases, this means emails, text messages, or phone calls posing as the victim’s bank, police, or delivery companies and utility providers.
These scams often demand payment, such as unpaid shipping fees, or personal and financial information.
With the deadline for tax returns approaching at the end of January, scammers are also posing as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
“HMRC scams are widespread,” says Thompson. “Threatening calls from HMRC asking you to act quickly to pay an outstanding tax bill should be a red flag to pause.”
The bank recommends contacting HMRC directly if you receive these types of calls. You should avoid responding to demands, sharing personal information or clicking on any links.
Crypto scams are at an all-time high
Following the election of Donald Trump in the US in November, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have gained popularity, as more people choose to bet on the future of these tokens.
People should be careful that even established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin remain high-risk investments, and so-called ‘meme’ coins depend solely on increasing their value by attracting investors thanks to the Internet buzz.
However, scammers also take advantage of this rush to buy, promoting fraudulent online broker platforms, which often promise high returns.
It is essential that investors thoroughly research these tokens before purchasing them, and it is best that they stick to trusted platforms when doing so.
In some crypto scams, investors buy a currency online, causing its value to rise before the scammers sell their own holdings and crash the market, leaving them in the green while victims are left with nothing.
Scammers seek to fleece music fans
Summer 2024 was packed with live events, with music and sports fans flocking to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the Paris Olympics and the Euros.
This also provided huge profits to scammers who whipped up counterfeit tickets to these events.
Scammers are likely to continue targeting live events, with fans willing to shell out huge sums of money to see their favorite entertainers and sports teams in action.
The impending Oasis reunion in the summer is a prime example of this.
To avoid falling victim to a scammer, those who want to buy tickets for these events should make sure they only buy tickets from verified sites, regardless of how good the deal is.
While there are legitimate ticket resale websites, people who offer you tickets to a sold-out tour should be treated with caution.
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