Technology
• Analysis
AI Scams: One in Four Europeans Hit by Online Fraud
AI scams are helping fraudsters clone voices and social media images to impersonate victims and reach their bank accounts, says Entrust's Minh Nguyen, as one in four Europeans has fallen victim to an online scam.
By Haut Monde Post
• October 22, 2026
• 2 Min Read
One in four Europeans has fallen victim to an online scam, from identity fraud to fake romances. Minh Nguyen, Chief Product Officer at security solutions provider Entrust, says AI and deepfakes are making it easier for fraudsters to impersonate people.
How deepfakes power impersonation
According to Nguyen, deepfake fraud has lowered the barrier for criminals targeting people's money. Tools built on AI allow a scammer to reproduce a person's voice or lift pictures posted openly on social media, then pose as that person in an attempt to break into their bank account.
"it's much easier now for fraudsters to take your voice, to take images that are publicly available on social media"
Those are Nguyen's words on why ai scams have become so effective at impersonation.
The EU digital wallet as a safeguard
Nguyen sees the introduction of an EU digital wallet as a first step towards protecting data. In his view, the EU has been one of the leaders globally in both protecting consumer and citizens' data and enabling secure access to online services.
Spotting fraud rings
Entrust is developing multi-layered fraud detection designed to expose organised crime. Nguyen says the method rests on identifying patterns in fraud rings, such as:
- •similar types of devices used across attacks
- •shared IP addresses
- •matching time zones
What readers can do
Nguyen's advice is to check any link sent to you before acting on it. "if they redirect you out of the platform, it's usually not a good sign", he cautions. Where doubt remains, he recommends contacting the platform's support service.
