AI-fueled scams, global cybercrime, and rising financial fraud

This cluster tracks an aggressive surge in scams and financial crime, from local check fraud and real estate cons to global ransomware, AI-boosted cyberattacks, and industrial-scale scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Reports highlight staggering projected cybercrime costs, rapid breakout times inside networks, and targeted schemes against seniors and crypto investors, while governments, law enforcement, and financial institutions respond with new crackdowns, degrees, toolkits, and prevention playbooks. Together, these pieces show how traditional fraud and cutting-edge cybercrime are converging, forcing organizations and everyday consumers to adopt more sophisticated defenses. The emphasis is shifting from simply detecting fraud after the fact to disrupting and preventing it in real time.