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BBC News1 min read
Surge in scams as fraudsters use AI to target people
TL;DR
Fraud cases in the UK have surged, with over four million incidents reported last year, as criminals increasingly use AI to manipulate victims. Scammers stole nearly £1.3bn in 2025, prompting calls for better monitoring from tech companies.
Key points
- Fraud cases in the UK surged to over four million last year
- Criminals use AI to manipulate victims and execute scams
- Nearly £1.3 billion was stolen by scammers in 2025
- The total number of fraud cases increased by more than one million in two years
- Banks warn that fraud poses a national security threat
Cases of fraud in the UK have surged with criminals using AI to manipulate people and even marrying victims of romance scams to steal more money.
More than four million cases in which money was lost were reported last year - the equivalent of nearly eight on average every minute, according to new figures.
The total has increased by more than one million in two years, with almost £1.3bn stolen by scammers in 2025, according to an annual report by UK Finance.
The enormous scale of the problem could only be tackled if tech companies stepped up monitoring and security of their platforms, the banking trade body said.
Banks said fraud posed "a national security threat" given the impact on victims and the huge sums stolen by organised criminals.
The report, compiled from banking data and the most comprehensive assessment of fraud losses in the UK, reveals:
- A total of 4.1 million cases of fraud in which money was stolen last year - up 11% on a year earlier, and a 31% rise on 2023
- Losses to investment scams soared by 40% in a year, to a new record high
- Purchase scams, in which criminals use stolen card details to buy something online, were up to new record levels
Fraudsters also use fake profiles on social media and dating sites to meet, groom and ultimately steal from victims who believe they are in a loving relationship.
UK Finance said examples even included a fraudster marrying a victim to continue stealing money.
"The impact goes beyond financial loss; it can cause huge emotional harm, leaving victims burdened by guilt and shame, which is why we must tackle the problem at its source to protect consumers," said Paul Davis, head of economic crime at Barclays. Experts believe the majority of scams are unreported, so do not even register in the statistics.
Scammers are so embedded that the first four men matched with Julie Osgood when she tried out a dating site were all potential fraudsters, the 60-year-old recently told the BBC.
She spotted the problem before being tricked, but many thousands of others were not so lucky.
Kirsty Guest, a florist from North Yorkshire, was scammed out of £80,000 after meeting a man on a dating app, who called himself Patrick.
The relationship developed over months, but was based on a lie, because "Patrick" was a scammer using photos of another, completely innocent, man.
After claiming he had been in an accident on a work trip, he tricked Kirsty into sending thousands of pounds which was then stolen.
"[Fraudsters] are professional and they are making massive volumes of money," she told the BBC in May. "They're intelligent in what they're doing."
Q&A
What is the total amount stolen by scammers in the UK in 2025?
Scammers stole nearly £1.3 billion in the UK in 2025.
How many fraud cases were reported in the UK last year?
Over four million fraud cases were reported in the UK last year.
What role does AI play in increasing fraud cases?
Criminals are using AI to manipulate victims, including tactics like romance scams.
Why do banks consider fraud a national security threat?
Banks view fraud as a national security threat due to its significant impact on victims and the large sums of money stolen by organized criminals.
