SECURITY AND TRUST How AI is Reshaping Online Fraud 

Social media is the new frontline in the fight against fraud. Scammers are using generative AI to create posts, ads and messages that look real and feel familiar - engineered to spark emotion and curiosity. And a growing tactic is engagement bait: AI-generated content is posted to see who likes, comments, or shares, then those individuals are targeted with more sophisticated scams.

 Visa’s latest European research¹ reveals that people who mistake AI-generated content for real are almost five times more likely to fall victim to a scam (62% vs. 13%). The cost is significant, with scam victims losing an average of €140.65 per incident and 14 days resolving the issue – for many, that’s more than two thirds of the working month.

As online scams grow more sophisticated and widespread, this shift in consumer behaviour is having a tangible impact on the wider economy. Our research shows 28% of Europeans targeted by scams are shopping online less, and 4% have stopped entirely.

This is having a particularly significant impact on independent businesses who depend heavily on consumer confidence to survive and grow.

To raise awareness, Visa is using a visual metaphor of a ‘Feathered Lamb’ to show how scammers can disguise danger with emotional hooks or urgency. As scam expert and co-host of BBC Scam Inceptors, Nick Stapleton explains, “It's natural that if you see a cutesy picture posted on your social feed alongside a well-written and sympathetic story, you might want to interact by giving it a like or showing your human side in the comments. These posts are often created by scammers using AI as a lure to try and find their next possible targets. The more aware you are of the scammers’ next move, the less likely you are to become their next success story – and every time they fail, we move closer to putting them out of business for good.”  

How Visa helps keep consumers and businesses safe

Visa is stepping up the fight against social media scams - combining decades of experience with cutting-edge technology and working closely with banks, retailers and digital platforms to restore trust in online commerce. 

AI has long been central to Visa’s approach to fraud prevention. For over 30 years, the company has used AI powered tools to help keep payments secure and stay ahead of evolving threats. In the last five years alone, Visa has invested $12 billion in technology, including building smart, AI-powered systems that detect suspicious behaviour in real time and help stop scams before they reach people. 

Some key solutions include:

• Tokenisation – Protecting card details so consumers can shop with confidence.

• Biometrics – Adding a layer of authentication so users can confirm they’re present when making a payment.

• Passkeys & Digital Identity – Unlocking convenience without compromise.

• Built-in protections – Ensuring businesses aren’t left carrying the cost of fraudulent transactions.

• Visa Scam Disruption practice – Identifying and stopping complex scams as they emerge, preventing over $1 billion in fraud in the last year².

• Visa Network Defense – An advanced, network-level fraud detection and mitigation solution designed to protect the Visa payment ecosystem from large-scale fraud attacks.

• Visa Integrity Risk Program — Helping clients identify deceptive merchant practices.

• A2A Protect – Extra security for account-to-account payments.

Tackling fraud requires a united front, and Visa is committed to collaborating across the ecosystem to set new standards for consumer protection.

This content was developed for a European audience and relates to Visa’s offerings in Europe.

¹ The research was conducted by Opinium, on behalf of Visa, between August and September 2025. This survey includes a nationally representative sample of 9,500 adults across 11 markets in Europe. The markets include UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Hungry, Slovakia, Czechia, Spain, Bulgaria. 

² https://corporate.visa.com/en/sites/visa-perspectives/security-trust/scam-disruption-hits-one-billion-milestone.html