Listeners, it’s Scotty here, your favorite cyber sleuth in a world where scammers are evolving faster than smartphone updates. The last few days have been absolutely wild in scamland, and with today rolling in as November 16, 2025, I’m seeing trickery at levels that even seasoned hackers would envy.

Freshly unmasked in the news, we’ve got the “Cryptoqueen” scandal over in the UK—a massive Bitcoin fraud, £5.5 billion in Bitcoin seized, thanks to a scam mastermind who was literally arrested in bed. That fiasco is still rippling through the crypto scene, with law enforcement all over the globe digging into chatroom investment rings. Just in Asia, 41 people got hauled in for laundering over 52.5 billion won in a Cambodia-based investment scam ring. Clearly, scam syndicates are no longer running out of a shady basement—these are multinational startups, minus the free coffee and ethics.

Stateside, it’s been a straight-up tech arms race. ScamwatchHQ reports holiday scams have stolen $529 million already this year, and as Thanksgiving and Black Friday loom, phishing emails have exploded a jaw-dropping 692%. What’s turbo-charging this crime wave? Artificial intelligence, baby! AI isn’t just writing sonnets anymore—it’s cloning voices with just three seconds of audio. Picture this: An Arizona mom gets a desperate call from her daughter, sobbing, claiming she’s been kidnapped, demanding a ransom. Only, her actual daughter is chilling at ski practice, and the whole thing was an AI-powered deepfake.

McAfee’s latest research says nearly half of Americans bumped into AI-powered scams while shopping—most lose money. Classic “grandparent scams” have gone high-tech, too. Scammers now impersonate loved ones so convincingly, seniors are sending cash, crypto, and gift cards without a second thought. That scam cost elders roughly $3.4 billion last year, and it’s escalating.

Let’s talk about fake retail sites. Major brands—Walmart, Amazon, Target, Best Buy—have seen a 2,000% surge in phony websites and emails. These fakes look so legit you’ll second-guess your own shopping skills. And holiday fever fuels “unmissable” Black Friday deals that are just fancy bait to hook your credit card information—or steal your identity outright.

Here’s how to dodge today’s hottest scams. First, don’t click links in emails or texts, especially those begging for urgent action or offering deals that sound bananas. Go direct to the retailer’s web address yourself. Check for that trusty “HTTPS,” and keep your data close—like your grandma’s secret cookie recipe. Activate two-step verification wherever possible. If you get weird calls, especially ones asking for wire transfers, crypto, or gift cards, hang up and verify with someone you trust.

Juicy tip for my seniors out there: government agencies never call to ask for money, and you should never share sensitive info on the fly—even if the caller sounds uncannily like your nephew. Always double-check. Holiday scams thrive on urgency and fear, so slow down and check before you buy or reply.

Thanks for tuning in, digital defenders. Hit subscribe so you never miss the next cyber adventure. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI