McAfee recently unveiled its 2026 State of the Scamiverse report, highlighting the rise of digital scams in India. The research reveals that scams have become so realistic that many consumers don’t realize they’ve been targeted until it’s too late. From polished phishing messages to deepfake voice scams and malicious QR codes, fraudsters are increasingly able to blend their deceptions seamlessly into everyday interactions.
The report shows that 70% of Indians had their social media accounts compromised last year, reflecting how more sophisticated scam tactics have become. Indians are also increasingly cautious, with 82% of Indians surveyed by McAfee saying they are more wary of opening messages from unknown senders than they were a year ago, yet scammers continue to outpace even vigilant users through advanced tactics.
“Scammers are increasingly using AI and advanced digital tools to exploit trust and create a sense of urgency, from mimicking bank alerts to sending increasingly realistic messages on social media,” said Pratim Mukherjee, Senior Director of Engineering, McAfee. “With scams becoming nearly indistinguishable from legitimate communications, awareness, skepticism, and strong online protection tools have never been more critical.”
The growing sophistication of scams is reflected in data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)1 , which reported that Indians lost an astounding ₹19,813 crore to fraud and cheating cases in 2025, with 21.77 lakh complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Notably, 77% of these losses were linked to fraudulent investment schemes, highlighting how scams are becoming increasingly complex and harder to detect.
Scam Signs Are Harder to Spot
Modern scams are designed to mimic everyday interactions. Routine messages like delivery notices, subscription renewals, and bank alerts have become commonplace tactics scammers use to gain trust.
Indians reported seeing an average of 13 scam messages daily across text (4), email (4), and social media (5)
Nearly 1 in 5 suspicious social messages now include no links at all, eliminating traditional warning signs like suspicious or misspelled URLs
66% of users replied to these linkless messages, potentially triggering the next step in a scam
Deepfakes 2.0: A New Layer of Deception
Deepfake technology, once confined to viral videos or political content, is now an everyday threat in India. Scammers are leveraging lifelike AI-generated voices and visuals to impersonate trusted individuals or organizations. From celebrities promoting fake investments to recruiters conducting convincing video calls, and even distressing messages from family members urgently asking for money, these scams are becoming increasingly difficult to identify.
Indians report encountering an average of 4 deepfakes per day
More than 1 in 3 Indians surveyed by McAfee say they aren’t confident they can identify a deepfake scam, and a similar share say they don’t feel confident protecting themselves if a deepfake targets them
Deepfakes are most commonly seen on Instagram (65%) Facebook (59%), and also across YouTube (48%), Telegram (44%) and WhatsApp (41%)
1 in 5 Indians say they’ve encountered a voice-clone scam, often impersonating loved ones, bank agents or government officials amongst others
Financial and Emotional Impact
The scam economy is growing rapidly in India, fueled by increasingly sophisticated fraud targeting consumers’ finances, time, and emotional well-being.
51% of Indians reported losing money to scams
The average loss was ₹93,915, significantly impacting families and individuals
In many cases, scams escalated quickly, with most scams completing in 30 minutes or less
Indians now lose 102 hours per year — nearly three full work weeks — evaluating messages to determine their legitimacy
Beyond financial losses, scams introduce anxiety and erode public trust:
63% of Indians believe their personal information is more at risk today than a year ago
24% of scam victims were targeted again within a year, underscoring how scammers exploit previously compromised individuals
McAfee’s Tips for Protecting Yourself From Modern Scams
Pause before you act. If a message creates urgency or pressure, slow down and verify before you respond.
Go direct. For account alerts, delivery issues, or government notices, go to the official website or app instead of clicking through via a link received in a message.
Be cautious with QR codes. Avoid scanning random QR codes in public spaces, and preview links before you tap.
Never share verification codes. Passwords, 2FA codes, and login approvals should never be shared with anyone.
Use strong account security and AI-powered protection. Unique passwords and two-factor authentication, combined with AI-powered scam detection, can reduce the risk of account takeovers.