Fraud in the UK has risen sharply, with criminals using artificial intelligence to target victims more convincingly and on a greater scale.
More than 4.1 million fraud cases involving stolen money were reported in 2025, according to new figures from UK Finance. That is the equivalent of almost eight cases every minute. The total was 11% higher than the previous year and 31% higher than in 2023, showing how quickly the problem is growing.
Almost £1.3bn was stolen by scammers during the year. Investment scams reached a new record high, with losses rising by 40% in 12 months. Purchase scams also hit record levels, as criminals exploited online shopping, fake listings and stolen payment details.
Banks warned that fraud has become a “national security threat” due to the scale of losses, the organised criminal groups behind many scams, and the serious harm they cause to victims.
Romance scams remain a major concern. Fraudsters create fake profiles on dating sites and social media, then spend weeks or months building trust before asking for money. In some cases, criminals have even married victims as part of the deception.
UK Finance said AI is making these crimes harder to detect. Scammers can now mimic the voices of celebrities, relatives or friends, making their approaches more believable. They can also produce convincing messages, profiles and scripts much faster than before.
Banks say the scale of the threat means technology companies must do more to monitor fraud and improve security on their platforms.
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