Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 64
“adviser” who messages you at
exactly the right time. A fake
invoice can look like it came
from a real supplier. A fake voice
message can sound like a family
member in distress. A fake social
media ad can appear to feature
someone you recognise and trust.
The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime
Report shows how quickly this is
moving. In 2025, the FBI received
more than 22,000 complaints
reporting AI related information,
with adjusted losses exceeding
US$893 million. The report also
noted that AI is being used to
create convincing synthetic
content, including social media
pro昀椀les and personalised
conversations, at mass scale.
In the UK, fraud remains a
major 昀椀nancial threat. UK
Finance reported £722 million
in unauthorised fraud losses
in 2024, plus £450.7 million in
authorised push payment fraud,
where victims are manipulated
into sending money themselves.
Importantly, 70 per cent of
authorised push payment fraud
cases began on online platforms.
This is the modern scam
environment. The scam may
begin on social media, continue
through messaging apps, move
to a fake investment portal and
end with a bank transfer that the
victim technically authorised.
That is why scams are no longer
just a technology issue. They are
a 昀椀nancial wellbeing issue.
The new rule:
trust the process, not the presentation
In the age of AI, the most dangerous
scams do not necessarily look
suspicious. They look credible.
That means the old advice of
“look for spelling mistakes” is no
longer enough. A scam can now
be grammatically perfect, visually
polished and emotionally persuasive.
The safer question is not, “Does this
look real?” The safer question is, “Can I
independently verify it?”
Before transferring money, sharing
personal details or clicking a link, step
outside the message. Do not use the
phone number, link or contact details
supplied by the person who approached
you. Go to the of昀椀cial website yourself.
Call the business on a publicly listed
number. Search the company on ASIC’s
registers. Check Moneysmart’s Investor
Alert List. Ask your bank. Speak to a
trusted person who is not emotionally
involved in the decision.
