In this period of unprecedented cyber threat, it is more important than ever to understand the precise methods and sources of danger impacting both individual consumers and businesses.
To that end, cyber safety brand Gen, which owns major cybersecurity brands including Norton AntiVirus and Avast, has compiled a threat report which has outlined the trends and methods most commonly used to target victims as of the end of 2025.
Scam subtlety
Advances in technology have been found to be a new source of opportunity for scammers, though, interestingly, at a glance, the report revealed that cybercrime relies largely on “ordinary digital actions” rather than “sophisticated exploits”.
The most damaging attacks across browsers, social feeds, messaging apps and money tools occurred when people completed the final step themselves, whether that’s clicking a link, scanning a QR code, approving a device pairing or entering a verification code.
The report notes that throughout 2025, scams were particularly dangerous because they blended into everyday digital routines, leaning on familiar platforms, trusted interfaces and automated persuasion.
Phoney shops and social media
Scams can be at their most effective when appearing on these recognisable feeds. One particularly concerning tactic highlighted by the report is malvertising, wherein scammers pay for ads to appear on social media. Clicking on these ads acts as the first step towards being victimised.
Social media represents a major issue for cybersecurity in this way and there are concerns that platforms have minimal incentive to take decisive action. The report cited internal documents from Facebook and Instagram owner Meta that suggested that scam and banned-goods advertising may represent roughly 10% of revenue.
A similar scam type that has exploded in popularity are fake online shops, most prevalent during the festive season. These fake shops were found to be most heavily concentrated on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, with fake shops accounting for 65% of all threats blocked on social media in Q4 2025.
“Social media is one of the places where people spend the most time and are especially vulnerable because they connect with friends, family, and strangers alike. Scammers leverage this fact,” said Leyla Bilge, director of Scam Research at Norton.
“Social media is now the leading source of fraud-related losses, surpassing websites, phone calls, and email, accounting for billions of dollars in consumer losses in recent years.
“Because social networks have such broad reach and intimate visibility into user interactions, platforms cannot afford to neglect scam detection and prevention if they want to protect users and maintain trust.”
Dangerous deepfakes
One of the newest frontiers for scammers is, of course, AI and its associated uses included the generation of deepfake videos impersonating trusted figures.
Gen’s research found deepfake scams were most commonly found on YouTube, Facebook and X. These are usually tied to financial, investment and cryptoasset scam ventures.
Interestingly, the UK in particular has been named by Gen as one of the top countries in terms of blocked deepfake scam media. While this scam type should be looked at, research suggests that it is far from the most impactful, with most of these deepfake video scams being intercepted during playback, rather than downloads.
“Scams are becoming more sophisticated and more targeted. What we’re seeing now is a shift away from obvious red flags and towards scams that look and feel more legitimate, enhanced by technology and the integration of AI,” Bilge said.
“Criminals are investing time in understanding how people behave online and are using that insight to create convincing messages, fake brands and realistic scenarios that can catch anyone out.”
Keeping safe
When asked by UKTN what the most effective thing users can do to keep safe from digital scams, Bilge said “slow down”.
According to her: “Scams are designed to create urgency and emotional pressure, so taking a moment to pause and verify can make a real difference.
“Being cautious with unexpected messages, double-checking requests through trusted channels, and using basic security measures like strong passwords, two-factor authentication and regular updates all help reduce the risk.”
When it comes to her own company’s technology, Norton has taken a particular focus on combating the rise of AI scams, with a detector feature built into its flagship cybersecurity product.
The post Identifying the most common and dangerous digital scams appeared first on UKTN.
