AI Scams and Data Breaches Are Surging in 2026: How to Protect Yourself and Your Family

Brian Page
9 hours ago
5 min read

Scams have always relied on deception. Artificial intelligence is making that deception much harder to recognize. That’s why I sat down with Andy Murphy, the founder of The Secure Dad®, to discuss how to protect yourself and your family.

Data breaches are also surging. CNBC reported 1,803 data compromises in the United States during the first half of 2026, up from 1,732 during the same period in 2025, resulting in more than 471 million victim notices. Even more concerning, one in four breaches during the period studied by IBM was AI-enabled, representing a 56% year-over-year increase.

Why AI Scams Are Becoming Harder to Spot

The days of getting an email from an African prince telling you that you're owed millions, or the IRS demanding payment in an email riddled with spelling mistakes are fading. AI has changed that.

Murphy explained that AI can eliminate many of those traditional warning signs. Scam emails, text messages, and other communications can now appear polished and convincing. As a result, scams are catching intelligent, financially responsible people who might previously have recognized something was wrong.

AI and data breaches have armed scammers with a bunch of personal information to make their ploys more convincing. They may already know your name, email address, phone number, or other personal information before they contact you. According to Murphy, victims aren't necessarily dealing with one person randomly calling phone numbers. They can be facing organized criminal operations that have repeatedly refined what works and what doesn't.

That's why Murphy describes scamming today as an unfair fight. And the explosion in breached data gives criminals more information they can potentially use. CNBC's reporting highlights just how much personal information continues to be exposed as data breaches accelerate in 2026.

The Scam Formula: Problem, Punishment, Solution

Murphy offers a remarkably simple framework families can use to identify a potential scam:

Problem + Punishment + Immediate Solution

Imagine receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer.

You're told you missed jury duty.

That's the problem.

There's now a warrant for your arrest.

That's the punishment.

But luckily, the person calling can help. Pay a fine immediately over the phone, and the entire situation will disappear.

That's the solution.

The scam works because the victim suddenly believes they're facing a serious problem they didn't know existed. Their normal mental process is disrupted, and the scammer immediately provides a way to make the fear disappear.

The Biggest Scam Red Flag: Urgency

If there's one word families should remember, it's urgency. Scammers want you to act before you have time to think.

They may tell you that your driver's license will be suspended, your bank account is in danger, your retirement savings could disappear, or someone you love is in trouble.

The objective is to create panic.

Murphy explains that scammers want victims outside their normal thinking patterns. Once someone becomes frightened, the easiest way to stop that fear may seem to be following the scammer's instructions—sending money, sharing information, or clicking a link.

That's why an unexpected problem paired with extraordinary urgency should immediately make you suspicious. Slow the situation down.

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Why Aging Parents Can Be Particularly Attractive Targets

Many adults now find themselves protecting not only their children but also their parents. Scammers understand that older adults may have retirement accounts, pensions, savings, and other assets accumulated over decades. They can exploit fears about losing those assets by pretending to represent a financial institution or another trusted organization.

They also work hard to isolate victims. A scammer may insist that your parent stay on the phone, discourage them from contacting you, and tell them the opportunity to resolve the supposed problem will disappear if the call ends.

And once someone has paid a scammer, the danger may not be over. Murphy warns that victims can be targeted again—including by criminals posing as people who can help recover the money lost in the original scam.

What to Say If Your Parent Has Been Scammed

Suppose your mom or dad calls and says:

"I think I was scammed."

Your first reaction matters. Murphy recommends beginning with appreciation rather than criticism: thank them for telling you.

People can be embarrassed after falling for a scam. Responding with "How could you possibly believe that?" can make matters worse and discourage them from asking for help again.

Instead, listen and reconstruct what happened.

Determine who contacted them, what the scammer claimed, and what information or money was provided. From there, Murphy recommends changing compromised passwords and contacting banks or credit-card companies involved, which have fraud teams equipped to help customers respond.

Then cut off communication with the scammer completely. Don't argue with them. Don't send another email announcing that you've figured out the scam. End the contact and focus on recovery.

The One Habit That Can Help Protect Your Family From Scams

Murphy's most important prevention strategy costs nothing: “Slow down and think twice.”

Before clicking a link, providing information, sending money, or continuing a suspicious phone call, stop and ask yourself how you can confirm it independently.

If someone claims your grandchild has been arrested, for example, end the call and contact your grandchild or another family member directly. Don't use the contact information provided by the person creating the emergency.

Murphy also recommends freezing your credit, including your children's credit, and temporarily thawing it when necessary.

Smart People Fall for Scams

Perhaps the most important lesson is that being scammed isn't proof that someone is gullible, irresponsible, or unintelligent.

Modern scammers have information, technology, and an understanding of psychology that is effective, and now they have AI. The old strategy of simply looking for misspelled words or suspicious-looking emails isn't enough anymore. We need to be vigilant.

To put Andy's advice succinctly: Don't click. Don't pay. Don't provide information. Verify what is happening independently. Click here to learn more about The Secured Dad.

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Show Notes

00:00 Introduction

2:38 You told me something before we recorded that I think is really important: “Scamming is an unfair fight.” What do you mean by that?

4:03 So what are a few scam spotting schemes / red flags?

5:57 When someone falls for a scam, we often hear, “How could they possibly have believed that?” What are scammers doing psychologically that can cause otherwise intelligent, financially responsible people to make a decision they normally wouldn’t make?

8:12 Take us inside a scam. What are the most common red flags that should make someone stop and think, “Something isn’t right here”?

10:43 A lot of people listening to this podcast aren't just protecting themselves and their kids anymore—they're also beginning to worry about aging parents. Why can protecting our parents from scams be so difficult?

16:32 Suppose my mom or dad calls me tomorrow and says, “I think I may have just been scammed.” What's the first thing I should say—and what are the first things we should do?

19:40 If every family listening adopted just one new habit this week that would significantly reduce their chances of becoming a scam victim, what would you want that habit to be?

21:27 Where can our listeners learn more about you and your work?