The 5 Most Common Scams in 2026 and How to Protect Your Business

Cyber criminals are no longer lone hackers operating in isolation, sending poorly spelled emails. Today’s scams are coordinated, data-driven and designed to exploit human behavior as much as possible.

For business leaders, the stakes are high. A single successful scam can lead to financial loss, data exposure, expensive downtime, reputational damage and regulatory penalties. Understanding these scams can help you avoid them.

Here are the five most common scams targeting organizations right now and what proactive leadership teams can take to stay protected.

Read: IT Best Practices That Get Missed: Cybersecurity Basics

1. Phishing

Phishing remains the most widespread and successful scam technique, as it exists in many forms: emails, texts and phone calls. Attackers impersonate trusted individuals or organizations, like CEOs or banks, to trick employees into clicking malicious links, downloading infected files or sharing sensitive information. Worse, AI enables hyper-personalized messages that mimic writing styles and business context, making it even harder to detect. They can even copy signatures, company logos and similar-looking email names to make their emails look more convincing.

To avoid phishing attacks, ongoing security awareness training without shaming is the most effective preventative measure, as human error often leads to phishing mistakes. Teach employees to hover over links before clicking to see the intended URL and to be wary of requests that rely on urgency and fear. Host simulated phishing campaigns and implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions. Encourage zero-trust access policies of “never trust, always verify,” especially for urgent requests.

2. Business Email Compromise (BEC)

BEC attacks are highly targeted and extremely convincing; instead of blasting thousands of phishing emails, attackers study your organization, learn its reporting structures and then impersonate executives, vendors or partners to trick employees into transferring funds or sharing sensitive data.

Imagine you’re a brand-new employee and receive an email from your “CEO” asking for a wire transfer ASAP. This seemingly high-level request often bypasses normal scrutiny because who wants to question their CEO?

To prevent BEC, implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all email accounts. Use advanced email filtering and protection and monitor accounts for unusual login locations or behavior. For financial transactions or vendor changes, establish clear approval workflows, including verbal verification.

3. Ransomware

Ransomware attacks occur when malware encrypts your data or systems and demands payment for restoration. However, modern ransomware has evolved: attackers now also threaten to leak the sensitive information if payment is not sent.

To stop ransomware, keep all systems patched and up to date. Maintain secure, tested and off-site backups so that even if data gets encrypted, you can quickly restore them. Restrict privileges to sensitive data, and develop an incident response plan (IRP).

4. Deepfakes

A new scam making waves is deepfakes. This is when scammers use AI to clone an executive’s voice or create a fake video to request an emergency wire transfer or sensitive data. AI makes the content extremely convincing, and with employees conditioned to respond quickly to leadership requests, this scam is becoming more effective.

To avoid deepfakes, require secondary verification for financial approvals – never authorize a high-value transaction based on a single voice or video call. Always confirm requests through a secondary, pre-approved channel. Be alert for signs of deepfakes, such as inconsistent audio or video quality, and limit publicly available media when possible. Train teams on emerging AI-based threats and how to recognize suspicious requests or behaviors.

5. Tech Support Scams

These scams often target employees directly, convincing them that something is wrong with their computer or network. They receive a pop-up warning claiming their device is infected, or a tech support representative from “Microsoft” calls, saying there is an issue and that they need to install remote-access software to fix it – or worse, charge you for the repair. However, if you give access, the scammer will steal personal information or install other cyber threats.

Remind employees that legitimate IT support never calls out of the blue and they don’t accept payment via gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency. Block any unauthorized remote-access tools. Encourage staff to report suspicious activity, such as pop-ups, to IT support immediately. If you do have an IT concern, call your IT support directly through official channels.

Protect Your Organization with Thriveon

Scams evolve constantly, but so do the defenses. Protection against modern scams requires strategic oversight, continuous monitoring and executive-level alignment between technology and business risk.

At Thriveon, we provide proactive IT management and cybersecurity services to help organizations stay ahead of threats rather than reacting after the damage is done. Our Fractional CIO can help you implement layered security controls, train employees, monitor systems, create effective policies and ensure plans are in place. By aligning your business with industry best practices and proactive IT support, you can turn your technology from a vulnerability into a competitive edge.

Request a consultation now before it’s too late.