Online shopping scams jumped 271% in the last quarter of 2025. This is a shocking number, but not a typo. New figures from Gen, a global cybersecurity company, also show so called “scam-yourself” attacks rose 82%. These are ones where you unknowingly complete the final step yourself by clicking a link, scanning a QR code, approving a device pairing, or entering a verification code. Scams like this blend into your everyday digital routines, the social feeds you scroll just before you reached this article, or the messaging apps Kiwi use in their daily lives.
Faces you can no longer trust
AI tools can now clone a person’s face, voice and writing style in seconds, making it nearly impossible to tell real from fake. But the face is often just packaging. The engine is usually the message itself: the script, the call to action, the pressure and the promise.
More troubling still, scammers are increasingly manufacturing credibility without impersonating anyone at all. They use AI-generated synthetic presenters, fake on-screen hosts with no real person behind them, no-one for victims to complain to. They are endlessly reusable across any topic or language. If a video is pushing you toward paying money, entering a login, downloading, or verifying urgently, it’s a sign. Treat the presenter as part of the packaging, not proof.
The emotional trap
Empathetic scams thrive on feelings first and logic second. When a message sparks fear, urgency, guilt or even excitement, name the emotion you are feeling. That awareness breaks the illusion of intimacy that AI-powered scammers create.
How to protect yourself
- Follow the action, not the face: If a video is urging, secrecy or immediate payment, pause. That pressure is often the engine driving the scam.
- Verify the platform: Search for the claim from independent sources, not links in the description or comments.
- Verify the human, not just the message: If a call asks for money, hang up and dial the number on the back of your card.
- Be suspicious of anything that sounds too smooth: Scam scripts often sound confident, generic, and strangely frictionless, as if risk does not exist.
- Avoid installs prompted by videos: "Install this to verify" and "download this viewer" are common routes into malware and credential theft.
- Consider an extra layer of protection: Tools like Norton 360 Premium work quietly in the background, blocking scam sites, flagging suspicious downloads, and keeping your devices covered around the clock.
The real skill is not spotting what looks fake. It is recognising how scams behave. Follow the pressure. Question the promise. Verify outside the moment.
Ponsonby News has 3 copies of Norton 360 Premium to giveaway to 3 lucky readers. Please email: Martin@Ponsonbynews.co.nz with your name and postal address and be in to win. First come - First served.
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