It’s Not Just Your Grandma Getting Scammed—These Texts Are Fooling Everyone

When my grandparents were alive, my family worked around the clock to protect them from scammers. On one memorable occasion, Mom even called the police on a predatory salesman named Barney who convinced my grandmother to spend tons of money on stuff she didn’t need.

But maybe we should’ve been more worried about the junior members of our family, because the Pew Research Center has found that right now, no one’s safe from scammers. Recent data shows phone and online scam attempts are rising across all age groups, including younger adults who tend to overestimate their own ability to spot fraud.

So what are these super-convincing phone and online scams that have everyone tricked? Here are the ones I most often see or hear about:

• Robocalls: Some of these prerecorded calls are clunky and obvious, but the really good ones sound like a real person carrying on a conversation. Either way, they’re designed to get you to send money or share sensitive information.
• Voice cloning calls: In these uncanny robocalls, the robot speaks to you in the voice of someone you know and trust to ask for … you guessed it … money.
• Deepfake videos: These videos look real but are completely fake and made with AI technology. Like with voice cloning, they can be used to imitate someone you know or even a celebrity you follow.
• Relationship scams: In this old but effective chestnut, the scammer tries to strike up a friendship or romantic relationship, oftentimes through a “wrong number” text. Once the relationship is established, the scammer asks for gift cards or money.
• Employment scams: These may be as simple as a job-related phishing text or as elaborate as a fake job posting designed to steal your personal information.
• Government scams: This usually involves a scary call, text, or email claiming you’re in trouble with the police, DMV, IRS, or another government agency or agent.
• Post office scams: With this scam, the swindler sends you a phishing message about a missing or delayed package.
• Money transfer scams: Scams involving payment apps come in many different forms, including someone transferring stolen money to you “by accident” or requiring digital payment for a good or service you haven’t received (and never will).

For a more complete overview of the scams that have everyone fooled, check out McAfee's comprehensive list of the latest online scams.

Historically, successful scams prey on strong emotions or use credible technology to create and bolster a persuasive facade. These recent swindles are no different.

If you get a call from your beloved relative saying they’re in jail, shock and fear take over. It’s hard to stop and ask yourself whether you’re being taken for a ride. Or if you’re looking for a job and get a text from an unknown number offering you one, your gut instinct may be to click now and think later.

To complicate things further, 2020s technology knows few bounds. AI technology can produce deepfake videos, copy your best friend’s voice to a T, or correct less-than-perfect English from foreign players. It can spoof phone numbers and email addresses and make robocalls convincing enough for a surface-level conversation.

With these factors at play, it’s not surprising that scammers are luring so many people in from all backgrounds and age groups.

Read more: State of Consumer Data 2026: Americans Want More Control Over What Their Devices Collect

In 2025, the Pew Research Center found that 18- to 29-year-olds are more likely to lose money to online scams than the elderly (25% of these young adults versus 15% of 65+ folks). So … why? After all, younger people are more tech-savvy and less trusting. They know that the internet can be deceiving, and unlike my grandparents, they grew up in an era where people are mistrustful, suspicious, and lock their doors at night.

Of course, even younger people can be swayed by powerful emotions and convincing technology. But there’s also a degree of overconfidence involved. Younger people feel more confident in their ability to detect scams, so when they do fall, they fall hard.

The top way to protect yourself from scammers is to think before taking action.

Many scams masquerade as emergencies. The scammers want you to click a link, send payment, or provide sensitive information immediately. Pausing for even a few seconds can interrupt this momentum and let you evaluate the situation rationally instead of acting impulsively.

It’s not always easy, but if you stop and reflect, you’re less likely to fall victim to a scam. But if impulse control isn’t your strong suit, don’t despair. You can still slow your roll by remembering these tips:

• Be wary of texts or calls from unknown numbers
• Double- and triple-verify surprising communications from friends or family
• Don’t buy gift cards for or send money to anyone you haven’t met in real life
• Don’t click links unless you know for sure who’s sending them
• If something’s off with a message but you’re not sure what, you can copy and paste the body into your search bar and add “scam”

Using these guidelines will help you avoid scammers — no matter how clever they are or what age range you’re in. And with any luck, the percentage of scam victims will start trending down.

Found this useful? Follow Reviews.org on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or catch us on YouTube. 

You can also add us as a preferred Google search source for the latest in tech and home services.