Like rust, cyber scammers never sleep (or take holiday breaks). So, as 2026 gets underway, experts at a global cyber security firm are issuing stark warnings about the evolving digital threat landscape. From government crackdowns on international scam operations to AI agents falling victim to fraud, these predictions reveal how criminals are adapting faster than ever and why consumer protection must evolve just as quickly.
Below are the top five emerging threats being tracked by F-Secure:
- Scam centers will become a major cyber-security battleground in 2026.This prediction is from Megan Square, a U.S. Threat Intelligence Researcher at the firm, who says “industrial-scale scam centers operating out of Southeast Asia will become one of the most visible and politically charged cyber security threats facing the U.S. These scam centers represent a massive wealth transfer from American families to organized crime. Nearly $10 billion is stolen from Americans every year, and what’s different now is the coordinated effort to dismantle not just the scammers, but the entire ecosystem that enables them, including U.S.-based internet infrastructure.”
- Agentic AI will redefine cyber risk as software starts acting on consumers’ behalf. “In 2026, agentic AI will fundamentally reshape the digital threat landscape. These systems will no longer just assist users, but act independently, making decisions, moving money and interacting with services on our behalf. That shift introduces a new class of cyber risk, where software becomes both the operator and the victim.”
- AI shopping assistants will turn convenience into a new scam battleground. “In 2026, AI-powered shopping assistants will become one of the most attractive new targets for online fraud. Agentic browsers and embedded AI tools are already being positioned to automate product discovery, price comparisons and purchasing across multiple retailers, promising consumers a faster and easier shopping experience. The convenience is real, but the exposure is growing just as fast. Shopping assistants operate across untrusted sites, handle sensitive data, and make decisions on behalf of users. That combination creates an ideal environment for scams.”
- Synthetic identity fraud has reached an industrial scale. “In the coming year, criminals will increasingly use AI to create synthetic identities by blending stolen real data with fabricated details to form entirely new personas that pass verification checks, open bank accounts and secure loans. Research already shows individuals willingly selling their identities, giving criminals legitimate credentials to exploit.
- Digital-service providers will face a billion-dollar cyber security “moment of truth.” “In 2026, digital service providers will face a clear choice: become trusted digital guardians or lose ground in a billion-dollar cyber security market. New research from F-Secure and Omdia shows cyber security has shifted from a value-add to a core consumer expectation, and providers that fail to deliver risk customer churn.”
F-Secure notes that the common thread across the above risks is scale. “Criminals are no longer targeting users one by one,” the consultant’s report concludes. “They are exploiting infrastructure, automation and trust at industrial levels, often faster than human intervention allows. As technology becomes more autonomous, security must become more proactive, embedded, and capable of operating at the same speed.”
Click here for more details about the above challenges from F-Secure.
