This Week in Scams: $16.6 Billion Lost, Deepfakes Rise, and Google Email Scams Emerge

Welcome to the first edition of This Week in Scams, a new weekly series from McAfee breaking down the latest fraud trends, headlines, and real-time threats we're detecting across the digital landscape.

This week, we're spotlighting the FBI's shocking new cybercrime report , the rise of AI-generated deepfakes , and a sophisticated Gmail impersonation scam flagged by Google. We're also seeing a surge in location-specific toll scams and fake delivery alerts-a reminder that staying ahead of scammers starts with knowing how they operate.

Let's dive in.

Scams Making Headlines

$16.6 Billion Lost to Online Scams in 2024
The FBI's latest Internet Crime Report is here-and the numbers are staggering. Americans lost $16.6 billion to online scams last year, up from $12.5 billion in 2023. Older adults and crypto investors were hit especially hard, but the agency warns the real total is likely much higher, since many victims never report the crime.
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AI-Powered Deepfake Scams Get More Convincing
Deepfake-enabled fraud has already caused more than $200 million in financial losses in just the first quarter of 2025.

McAfee researchers estimate the average American sees three deepfakes per day , many of which are designed to mimic real people, services, or news stories. Whether it's fake crypto pitches, job offers, or social media stunts- seeing is no longer believing .
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Google Warns Users of Sophisticated Email Scam

Google is alerting Gmail users to a new type of phishing email that looks like it comes from Google itself . These messages often appear in legitimate email threads and pass all typical security checks, but lead victims to a cloned Google login page designed to steal credentials. The scam highlights how attackers are evolving to outsmart traditional filters.
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From Experts at McAfee

McAfee Researchers have observed a recent surge in the following scam types :

Fake Delivery Notifications : Scammers impersonate delivery services like USPS, UPS, and FedEx, sending fake tracking links that install malware or steal payment info

Invoice Scams : Fraudulent messages that claim you owe money for a product or service, often accompanied by a fake invoice PDF or request for payment via phone

Cloud Storage Spoofs : Emails that pretend to be from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, prompting you to "log in" to view shared files. The links lead to phishing sites designed to capture your credentials.

Toll Text Scams : Personalized smishing messages that claim you owe a toll and link to fake payment sites. These messages often use location data-like your area code or recent city visits-to appear legitimate. McAfee Labs saw toll scam texts spike nearly 4x between January and February .

This week, Steve Grobman , executive vice president and chief technology officer at McAfee, said the toll scam is effective because it hits all the correct social points for a consumer.

These scams often rely on urgency and familiarity -pretending to be something you trust or expect-to get you to act quickly without double-checking.

How to Stay One Step Ahead

1. Be skeptical of emails-even from familiar senders.
   The Gmail scam shows that even official-looking messages can be fake. If an email asks you to log in, don't click the link. Instead, go to the website directly through your browser and log in from there.
2. Understand how deepfakes are being used.
   Whether it's a voice message from someone you know or a video of a public figure promoting an investment, deepfakes are designed to exploit trust. If a message pressures you to act urgently-especially involving money-slow down and verify it through another channel.
3. Don't assume personalization means legitimacy.
   Scams like the toll fraud texts feel real because they include specific location data. But scammers can use leaked or purchased personal data to tailor messages. Just because it sounds accurate doesn't mean it's trustworthy.
4. Watch for emotional triggers.
   The most effective scams-whether it's a fake support email, a travel deal, or a message about a missed toll-create urgency or panic. If something is pushing you to act fast, that's your cue to stop and verify.
5. Protect yourself with tools that go beyond basic filters.
   Traditional spam filters aren't enough anymore. Use security tools-like McAfee Scam Detector-that look at full message context and help flag advanced scams, impersonation attempts, and deepfakes before they cause harm.

Thanks for reading- See you next week with more scam alerts, insights, and protection tips from the McAfee team.