New Year, New Scams: What to Watch for in 2026

New scams in 2026

  • Synthetic identity fraud 2.0. Fraudsters used to piece together partial information to create new, fake identities. Today they’re using AI to create plausible, verified-looking identities that blend real and fake data, often by using parts of your credentials.

  • AI-enhanced impersonation (Deepfake Voice & Video). You get a video call from your attorney or wealth manager. Their face and voice match. They ask for urgent approval of a wire transfer. But it’s not them. It’s a deepfake. AI-enhanced impersonation is now into the financial domain, targeting individuals who trust face-to-face confirmation. Criminals use leaked video, audio, and social media data to create eerily convincing impersonations.

  • Tax season phishing-as-a-service. Forget bad grammar and sketchy email headers. Today's phishing emails and texts are written by AI, tailored to your accountant or tax advisor's tone, and spoofed to look legitimate. The biggest red flag – hyper-personalized links asking you to verify your identity or upload sensitive tax documents to a fake IRS or tax accountant's portal.

  • Luxury asset title theft. Cybercriminals are now targeting high-end assets such as real estate, yachts, and even private aircraft, by forging title transfers using stolen credentials. Once transferred, the asset is quickly used as collateral or sold off through shell companies.

How to protect your identity and assets this tax season

  • Lock down your data flow. Don’t send tax documents over email. Use encrypted, secure client portals (with multi-factor authentication enabled).

  • Secure your digital identity. Freeze your credit with all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). It’s free and prevents unauthorized lines of credit. Use identity protection services that offer real-time monitoring of your Social Security number, financial accounts, and dark web chatter.

  • Authenticate everything. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all investment platforms, banking apps, and email accounts. For wire transfers, require voice confirmation and code word authentication, even from known contacts.

  • Watch for these other red flags:

    • Unexpected requests for tax-related information from financial institutions.

    • Notices of new accounts or credit reviews you didn’t initiate.

    • A sudden lack of communication from a known advisor—could be a spoofed account or intercept.

Scams are now not just about tricking you, they’re about bypassing your identity protections entirely. And the fallout can impact investments, businesses, and estate plans. So be prepared and proactive about protecting your identity and personal information as we head into a new year.

Rob Ostrower