Technologies

Study Finds Phishing Scams Are on the Rise, Accelerated by AI

Web-based phishing and spoofing reports increased by over 85% year over year.

You’re probably all too familiar with the words «potential spam» or «suspicious activity detected» or even a pop-up in Gmail that reads, «This message might be dangerous.» That’s because we are all potential victims of phishing, spoofing and other online scams at all times. According to a new report from the National Consumers League, phishing and spoofing scams increased by over 85%, and the average financial losses caused by such scams have more than doubled, from $1,000 to $2,060.

Generative AI has been integral to the growing number of attacks, which are becoming more frequent and sophisticated. The US Federal Trade Commission reported that Americans lost over $12 billion due to consumer fraud attacks and scams in 2024, a 25% year-over-year increase. These losses are only expected to grow as scams become more convincing, enabled by AI tools that allow scammers to clone voices, create deepfakes, localize messages and personalize the language used in scam emails, texts and social media posts.

«Given widespread evidence that scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to craft better pitches, the rise in phishing complaints is particularly concerning,» John Breyault, the NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud, said in a statement.

Notably, 48% of the 1,376 complaints analyzed by the NCL report involved online scam attempts, marking a distinct shift away from phone scams as the primary method used by attackers.

Young people are vulnerable

There are widespread assumptions that younger people (Millennials and Gen Z) are less likely to be affected by web-based, AI-powered scams because of their digital literacy. While it is true that older adults, age 56 and above, account for more than a third (37.94%) of the complaints, younger adults are also targeted at increasing rates.

The NCL found that millennials accounted for 39.8% of total fraud complaints, and complaints from adults aged 26 to 35 increased by 68.1% year over year.

How to protect yourself online in 2026

While web-based and AI-generated scam attempts are rising and becoming more sophisticated, there are ways to protect yourself online. The NCL says to watch out for anything that seems too good to be true, and suggests familiarizing yourself with popular scam methods, such as fake check scams, fake prize and sweepstakes scams, internet merchandise scams and investment scams.

The Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting American consumers, also recommends that you remain vigilant and question unexpected calls, texts or emails, as well as any messages that have a sense of urgency or threats. For instance, be wary of messages that include language like «act now» or «your account will be locked.»

The CFA also urges you to independently verify communications or individuals by researching phone numbers, names, websites and purported businesses rather than trusting caller ID, links or contact information.

If you suspect you have been a victim of a scam attempt, report it to authorities, such as the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

Technologies

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 4, #527

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 4, No. 527.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one unless you’re really familiar with a certain sports romance show and book series. If you are, you should have no problems with the blue category. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Lone Star State.

Green group hint: Support the team.

Blue group hint: Hockey love story.

Purple group hint: Not short.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Texas teams.

Green group: Sportswear brands.

Blue group: Associated with «Heated Rivalry.»

Purple group: Long ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Texas teams. The four answers are Astros, Mavericks, Stars and Texans.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sportswear brands. The four answers are Adidas, Champion, Fila and Starter.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with «Heated Rivalry.» The four answers are Hollander, Metros, Raiders and Rozanov.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is long ____. The four answers are Beach State, jump, relief and snapper.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, March 4

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 4.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It will help if you’re a basketball fan, at least for the answer to 1-Down. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.