Online Scam Detections Have Doubled. What’s Changed?

Fake shops, investment opportunities that sound a little too good, and someone claiming your computer urgently needs fixing. Online scams come in plenty of forms, and new research suggests they’re becoming even more common.

Akamai’s latest State of the Internet report, featuring threat intelligence from Bolster AI, found that online scam detections approximately doubled during its July 2025 to June 2026 reporting period. So, what has changed, and what should businesses take away from it? Let’s take a look.

Key Summary

• Online scam detections rose from around 3.2 million to 6.4 million between the quarters July–September 2025 and April–June 2026.
• Scam detections overtook traditional phishing for the first time in the research, although phishing detections also increased by 61%.
• AI and reusable attack tools are helping criminals produce convincing campaigns more quickly.
• The consequences extend beyond stolen money, making a supportive response to victims essential.

Credit: Infosecurity Magazine

Have Scams Overtaken Phishing?

In this research, phishing refers to impersonation intended to steal information such as passwords and account details. The scam category includes fake shops, investment scams, tech support scams and payment fraud.

The distinction is the route to the money. An attacker might steal your login details to exploit later, or persuade you to pay for a product, service or investment that never existed.

According to Bolster AI’s findings, scams surpassed traditional phishing in detected volume in the first quarter of 2026. However, these are detections within the research, rather than a count of everyone who lost money.

Phishing Hasn’t Gone Anywhere

Unfortunately, the rise in scams doesn’t mean phishing has decided to retire. Phishing detections increased by 61%, with reusable attack kits, automated infrastructure and AI helping criminals expand their activity.

AI can help produce convincing messages in different languages and create variations of fraudulent content. That makes spelling mistakes a fairly unreliable way of deciding whether something is genuine.

The average phishing attack lifespan also fell from around 48 days in late 2025 to 22 days in April–June 2026. Akamai describes attackers rapidly changing their infrastructure, making static lists of blocked websites less effective.

A shorter lifespan therefore doesn’t necessarily mean a less dangerous attack. It gives defenders less time to identify and disrupt it.

What Should Businesses Take Away From This?

Our practical takeaway is to make checking and reporting suspicious activity part of everyday work:

• Verify payment changes independently. If a supplier asks you to use new bank details, confirm through contact details you already trust.
• Look beyond familiar branding. A recognisable logo or polished message doesn’t prove who sent it.
• Make reporting straightforward. Employees should know who to contact and feel comfortable raising a concern promptly.
• Practise realistic scenarios. Include fake invoices, supplier impersonation and tech support scams in staff awareness training.

We hope you’ve found this blog useful. We cover the latest in business technology and cyber security, alongside practical advice for keeping your business protected. Stay tuned, and stay safe!