The New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection recently warned of a surge in investment scams utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake voices, faces, and deepfake videos, urging the public to be wary of investment opportunities promising “guaranteed profits,” high returns, or “get-rich-quick” schemes.
Data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows that in 2025, 144,041 consumers reported losses from investment scams totaling over $8 billion—a 38% increase from 2024. With a median loss of $10,560 per victim, investment scams ranked as the costliest type of fraud tracked by the FTC last year.