AI scams drove UK reports of fraud to record 444,000 last year

Most of the account takeover scams reported last year were for mobiles, online shopping and credit cards, Cifas said. Photograph: Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images

Criminals are increasingly exploiting AI technology to take over people’s mobile, banking and online shopping accounts, the UK’s leading anti-fraud body has warned.

Last year, a record number of scams were reported to the national fraud database, fuelled by AI, which allows for large-scale deception on “industrialised” levels, according to Cifas, the fraud prevention organisation.