Watch out for these five devastating scams in 2026

Ruses range from romance and employment scams, to sophisticated campaigns like digital arrest

New year, more scams.

The AARP has published its list of the top five scams to watch for in 2026, and the ruses range from traditional approaches, such as romance and employment scams, to high-pressure, sophisticated campaigns like digital arrest. The threats are part of a booming scam industry that’s grown considerably since 2020, AARP noted.

“Fraud is already rampant. Since 2020, the number of adults age 60 and older who reported a loss of $10,000 or more from impostor scams alone more than quadrupled in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC),” the AARP said. “Reported losses of $100,000 or more jumped from $55 million to $445 million during that same period, but because fraud is known to be vastly underreported, the actual numbers are surely far higher.”

The AARP’s top five scams to watch for are employment, recovery, digital arrest, “Hello pervert,” and romance scams.

Employment scams

The Federal Trade Commission has released multiple warnings against job scams this year. The employment-based trickery covers a wide range of occupations, such as Hollywood casting calls and work-from-home gigs.

Philadelphia resident Shreya Datta lost $450,000 in an elaborate romance scam, one of the five biggest scams to watch for in 2026, according to AARP (AFP via Getty Images)

These scams have surged in the past five years as consumers struggled through pandemic layoffs and are trying to navigate a tough job market.

“As a rough labor market extends into 2026, desperate job hunters may be more susceptible to fraud, including bogus jobs in online ads, on social media, and job search websites,” AARP said. “Some scammers also impersonate real employment agencies and companies.”

The Federal Trade Commission, a federal agency tasked with protecting consumers from unfair business practices, said that the best way to avoid job scams is to ignore unexpected text messages, research the company claiming to offer you a job, and never pay any money upfront to get a job.

Recovery scams

This two-stage method involves criminals running a scam on a consumer, then also posing as the organization or agency that helps them. In the end, the consumer endures two scams: one that coaxes away your money, and another that offers useless “help.”

For example, a scamming team may swindle you out of $1,000 in a fake IRS scam, then turn around and contact you to help you get your money back through its services.

If you’re concerned about falling for this ruse, AARP provides three watch-outs: Don’t pay upfront for scam recovery services, don’t accept checks for more than what you lost, and research the company claiming to offer scam recovery services.

Digital arrest scams

Perhaps the most sobering of the top five scams of 2026 is the digital arrest scam. This process is an elaborate one that involves a person or people claiming to be law enforcement. They tell you that they’ve linked you to a crime, and it gets nightmarish from there.

“Bogus law enforcement officers then interrogate you on video calls, not just for hours, but days, as they threaten you with criminal charges and pressure you to pay settlements or fines,” the AARP noted.

The scam is popular in India but is making its way to the U.S. In some cases, the crooks use AI-generated deepfake videos to convince you that legitimate law enforcement is monitoring you.

Even something as simple as clicking on a PDF attachment in an email can plunge consumers into elaborate scams that may cost them thousands of dollars or more (AFP via Getty Images)

The scam concludes like others – you lose money to people you think are legitimate. However, the scams can be so taxing that they can have a serious impact on certain victims' health.

“In September, a retired doctor in Hyderabad [India] died from a heart attack after enduring nearly 70 hours of digital arrest and constant video surveillance, India Today reported,” the AARP said.

‘Hello pervert’ scams

This traditional scam involves a hacker who claims to have gained access to your computer and recorded you visiting porn sites, the AARP said. Using the threat of exposing your habits to your contacts, the hacker demands you pay them off, or they’ll share your embarrassing secret far and wide.

While these scams can seem convincing, the “hacker” is just a scammer trying to convince you that your reputation is at stake.

The best way to avoid these scams? The AARP advises that you never open attachments from email addresses you don’t recognize, since most of the blackmail messages used in the ruse are PDF files. Additionally, consumers should stay calm even in the midst of the scammer saying you only have a short amount of time to pay.

Romance scams

One of the longest-running scams in the criminal world, the romance tactic – also known as “catfishing” – leverages loneliness and love to convince unsuspecting consumers to send money to their newfound soulmate for any number of reasons.

The popularity of social media has made it easier than ever for romance scams to play their lies through publicly available information about your interests.

“If you’re in a running group, the scammer might claim to be a runner too,” the AARP said. “If you recently traveled to Paris, the criminal will share their own experience strolling the Champs-Élysées. They might also profess to be a long-lost friend.”

One of the most effective tools consumers can use to avoid a romance trap is to recognize love bombing – the new love interest overwhelms the victim with adoration, affection, and, in some cases, gifts.

“Love bombing isn’t normal – and it’s a way for scammers to control the relationship, AARP said.