Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Victims Increasingly Face Multiple Compromises From a Single IncidentIdentity theft scams are increasingly unfolding as coordinated, AI-assisted attack chains that begin with phishing or impersonation escalate into account takeovers, device compromise and broader fraud, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Banks Must Prepare for the Coming DelugeInterpol added to warnings about a coming torrent of intelligence-enabled global fraud in an annual assessment assessing that victim losses reached $442 billion last year. AI-enhanced fraud is more than four times more profitable than traditional fraud methods, Interpol found.

Little Progress Made to Mandate Customer Reimbursement for Financial ScamsFinancial scams and synthetic identity fraud showed no signs of slowing in 2025, as regulators focused on fraud prevention over reimbursement for victims. But some countries joined the United Kingdom in advancing new anti-scam measures that focus on prevention and industry accountability.

Only Regulations Can Convince Meta to Cut Its Revenue Stream From Fraud VictimsHow motivated would you be to stop a source of revenue if you discovered that some of your advertisers are scamming your customers? Most businesses would want to protect their customers. In the strange universe of social media giant Meta, incentives for doing the right thing are totally different.

Apate.ai CEO Dali Kaafar on Turning the Tables on Fraudsters With AI-Powered BotsMajor banks in Australia are now using bots to foil scammers. The bots are designed to pose as potential victims, extract real-time intelligence and waste scammers' resources. The data is then pushed directly into fraud detection systems used by banks, telecom providers and government agencies.

Apate.ai CEO Dali Kaafar on Turning the Tables on Fraudsters With AI-Powered BotsMajor banks in Australia are now using bots to foil scammers. The bots are designed to pose as potential victims, extract real-time intelligence and waste scammers' resources. The data is then pushed directly into fraud detection systems used by banks, telecom providers and government agencies.

Also: ToolShell Hits South Africa, Most Americans Are Online Fraud VictimsThis week: Did China sneak a peek into ToolShell? ToolShell hacking in South Africa, Cisco flaws, an Arizona woman sentenced for aiding North Korea. Most Americans scammed online, a NASCAR data breach and a claimed data leak at France's Naval Group. Orange telecom disrupted. Dating app Tea breach.

Also: Scammer Gets 12-Year Sentence for Dodging RestitutionAbacus Market's suspected exit scam, crypto scammer gets 12 years for dodging restitution, GMX exploiter returns funds, BigOne's $27M hack, Arcadia Finance's $3.5M theft, NZ woman's trial for alleged murder and a DOJ crypto fraud filing's potential unmasking of MoonPay victims.

FIs Must Invest in AI-Fueled Behavioral Biometrics to Go Beyond Static CredentialsScammers are increasingly turning to account takeover fraud, as financial institutions ramp up their defenses. Instead of luring victims into making authorized transactions, cybercriminals are bypassing them altogether, hijacking their digital identities and draining accounts from within.

Attack Combines Social Engineering and Card Emulation to Execute Real-Time TheftHackers are using Chinese-speaking Android malware-as-a-service SuperCard X to carry out near-field communication relay attacks, siphoning payment card data and executing live point of sale and ATM transactions. Victims receive spoofed SMS or WhatsApp alerts purporting to originate from their bank.

Jason Costain on Ways Traditional and Digital Banks Could Learn from Each OtherDigital-only banks promise speed and sleek digital experiences but are not the best places to handle scam victims. Without branches to visit, victims find themselves stuck in a loop of chatbots, said Jason Costain, former head of fraud analytics and threat management at NatWest Group.

Jason Costain on Ways Traditional and Digital Banks Could Learn from Each OtherDigital-only banks promise speed and sleek digital experiences but are not the best places to handle scam victims. Without branches to visit, victims find themselves stuck in a loop of chatbots, said Jason Costain, former head of fraud analytics and threat management at NatWest Group.

Move to Fold PSR Into Financial Conduct Authority Could Affect Fraud VictimsThe U.K. government late Tuesday abolished its Payment Systems Regulator, a move aimed at reducing business complexity and supporting the Labour government's economic growth agenda. Payment system firms had complained that they had to deal with three different regulators.

Also: Conviction in £1.5M Fraud, Sentencing in Torture and Theft CaseThis week's stories include a critical Ethereum vulnerability, conviction in a £1.5M fraud, sentencing in a torture and crypto theft case, SEC's new roadmap, Jan crypto stats, Coinbase social engineering victims, and U.S. lawmakers' digital assets working group.

Banks Shift Blame to Social Media, Telecoms While Scam Victims Pay the PriceIf you're the victim of a scam in Australia, the chances of being reimbursed for your stolen funds are low. In fact, the AFCA ruled in favor of full reimbursement for victims in only 4.8% of its cases in 2024, highlighting the difficulty consumers face in disputing fraud-related losses with banks.

Banks Shift Blame to Social Media, Telecoms While Scam Victims Pay the PriceIf you're the victim of a scam in Australia, the chances of being reimbursed for your stolen funds are low. In fact, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority ruled in favor of full reimbursement for victims in only 4.8% of its cases last year, highlighting the difficulty consumers face when disputing fraud-related losses with their banks.

Fraud Expert Ken Westbrook on Successful Ways to Stop Fake Investment SitesAccording to the FBI, losses from investment scams surged 38% between 2022 and 2023. Fraudsters are using highly effective tactics, including sending text messages to lure victims to fake cryptocurrency platforms, said Ken Westbrook, founder and CEO of Stop Scams Alliance.

Experts Weigh the Pros and Cons of Work Culture and Merging AML and Fraud TeamsA recent report found that more than 57,000 Americans fall victim to scams every day. Financial fraud is rising globally. In response, the National Automated Clearinghouse Association is pushing for real-time fraud monitoring by 2026, requiring closer collaboration between fraud and AML teams.

3 Countries Taking Different Approaches to Accountability and Victim CompensationGovernments globally are intensifying anti-scam measures, introducing new guidelines to banks, telecom providers and other key sectors to bolster security controls and mitigate fraud risks for consumers and businesses. Some new frameworks threaten to levy stiff penalties for non-compliance.

PSR's Kate Fitzgerald on Steps for Reducing APP Fraud, Complying With New MandatesWhile the U.K. Payment Systems Regulator is taking steps to ensure customers receive consistent treatment from banks, fraud protection still has inconsistencies. Several policies have been introduced to protect fraud victims, but consumers can't always count on them, said PSR’s Kate Fitzgerald.