Cyber scams are becoming harder to spot, more damaging to recover from, and alarmingly widespread.
With attackers gaining access to sophisticated tools, including AI that can replicate voices and writing styles, the gap between what organisations defend against and what criminals actually deploy is increasing.
A lot of businesses are still relying on outdated assumptions about how scams work, leaving them exposed to threats that bypass email filters, endpoint protection, and even multi-factor authentication.
According to Danny Mitchell, Cybersecurity Writer at Heimdal Security, a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified, AI-powered protection platform combining next-gen antivirus, threat prevention, and privileged access control, the threat landscape in 2026 will be shaped by attackers who understand how to exploit trust, fatigue, and system-level vulnerabilities.
“Scams are no longer simply tricking users into clicking a bad link,” says Mitchell. “Attackers now target the infrastructure, the identity layer, and the psychological weaknesses that traditional security tools weren’t designed to address.”
Below, Mitchell outlines the scams security teams are already seeing evolve, and what organisations should prioritise now to reduce exposure heading into 2026.
The Cyber Scams Security Teams Are Already Seeing Evolve
Mitchell identifies the scams gaining traction, explaining that they aren’t entirely new, but the way they’re being executed is changing in ways that make them far more dangerous.
- AI-Powered Phishing and Voice Cloning
Phishing emails used to be easy to spot. Poor grammar, generic greetings, and suspicious links were obvious red flags. Now, attackers use AI to analyse writing styles, mimic tone, and create messages that sound exactly like someone you know.
Voice cloning has become particularly concerning. Criminals can replicate a colleague’s or manager’s voice using just a few seconds of audio.
“We’re seeing cases where employees receive calls that sound identical to their CEO, requesting urgent wire transfers or access credentials,” Mitchell says. “The technology required to do this is now accessible and cheap. It’s not a theoretical risk any longer, but actually happening regularly.”
- Business Email Compromise with MFA Fatigue
Business email compromise (BEC) attacks have evolved to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA). The tactic is called MFA fatigue. Attackers flood a user’s phone with dozens of push notifications until the person, frustrated or confused, approves one just to stop the alerts.
“MFA is still important, but it’s not a silver bullet,” Mitchell explains. “Attackers know that users get tired, especially if they’re bombarded with notifications during a meeting or late at night. One accidental approval is all it takes.”
- Malicious Browser Extensions
Browser extensions are small tools that add functionality to web browsers, but they also represent a significant attack surface. Malicious extensions can monitor everything a user types, capture login credentials, or redirect users to phishing pages without them noticing.
Mitchell highlights how these extensions often disguise themselves as productivity tools or security add-ons. “Users install them thinking they’re improving their workflow, but in reality, they’ve just handed an attacker full visibility into their online activity,” he says.
- DNS-Based Redirection and Fake Update Scams
Attackers are increasingly targeting the DNS layer, which is the system that translates website names into IP addresses. By poisoning DNS records, criminals can redirect users to fake websites that look identical to the real thing.
“You type in your bank’s URL, but instead of reaching the legitimate site, you’re sent to a replica controlled by attackers,” Mitchell explains. “Everything looks normal, so you enter your credentials, and now they have them.”
Fake update scams are another growing threat. Users receive pop-ups claiming their software needs an urgent update. Clicking the prompt installs malware instead.
How Organisations Can Reduce Scam Exposure Going Into 2026
Mitchell stresses that organisations cannot rely solely on employees making perfect decisions under pressure. He reveals the controls that security teams need to implement to prevent scams from reaching users in the first place.
- DNS-Level Threat Prevention: Blocking threats at the DNS layer stops malicious domains before users can interact with them.
“If the connection to a phishing site or malware server is blocked at the DNS level, the scam never gets a chance to work,” Mitchell says.
- Privilege Access Controls: Limiting who has access to sensitive systems reduces the impact of compromised accounts. Mitchell advises implementing least-privilege access, where users only have the permissions they need to do their job.
“If an attacker compromises an account with limited access, the damage they can do is contained,” he explains.
- Patch and Asset Hygiene: Unpatched software creates entry points for attackers. Mitchell recommends automated patch management to close vulnerabilities quickly and maintain an accurate inventory of all devices and applications.
- User Risk Reduction Without Relying on ‘Perfect Behaviour’: Rather than expecting employees to identify every scam, organizations should reduce the opportunity for human error. This includes disabling risky features like MFA push notifications in favor of more secure authentication methods, restricting browser extension installations, and using email filtering that flags unusual requests.
“Security needs to work even when users are tired, distracted, or under pressure,” Mitchell says. “The goal isn’t to blame people for falling for scams, but rather to build systems that make scams harder to execute.”
