TL;DR: On 4 September 2026, City of London Police published the inaugural Report Fraud Annual Assessment for 2025/26, covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Reports identifying AI as a factor rose 395%, from 193 to 956, and associated losses rose from £1.2 million to £9.6 million.

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What the assessment found

According to City of London Police, criminals use AI-generated videos, cloned voices, manipulated images, fake websites and chatbots. Investment fraud is the largest category of AI-enabled reports, with deepfake celebrity endorsements promoting fake platforms. Voice cloning is flagged as a risk to telephone banking authentication.

The assessment also says that between January and June 2026 over 180,000 victims received case outcomes and prevention advice, and average case review time fell from 37 to 5 days.

Red flags

How to protect yourself

Verify any investment through official channels before sending money, and agree a family code word for emergency calls. Hang up and call back on a number you already hold. Our pages on investment and trading app scam recovery, crypto scam statistics for 2026 and romance investment (pig butchering) scams explain how fake platforms operate.

Context for the numbers

The 395% rise is large, but it starts from a small base of 193 reports, so the 956 AI-linked reports in 2025-26 are a fraction of all fraud reports. The more important signal is the direction of travel and the loss figure, which rose eightfold from £1.2 million to £9.6 million. The assessment, the first of its kind from Report Fraud, covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It also reports that over 180,000 victims received outcomes and prevention advice between January and June 2026, so reporting does bring a response. Treat the statistics as an early warning rather than a complete count. The assessment relies on reports that identified AI as a factor, so some incidents may not be captured, and the headline percentage should be read alongside the underlying numbers.

Where to report

Report to Report Fraud (Action Fraud) (reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040). More prevention advice is at Take Five to Stop Fraud.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did AI-linked reports rise?

By 395%, from 193 in 2024-25 to 956 in 2025-26.

What losses were linked to AI?

Losses rose from £1.2 million to £9.6 million.

Which fraud type is most common among AI cases?

Investment fraud, including deepfake celebrity endorsements of fake platforms.

Why is voice cloning a concern?

The assessment flags it as a risk to telephone banking authentication.

Sources

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