Scammers are getting smarter about where they target you
Malwarebytes data shows scammers tailor fraud by platform: 90% of toll scams arrive via email/SMS and MrBeast is now the most impersonated person.
Malwarebytes threat research analyzed global scam data from April 15 to July 14, 2026, across more than 20 scam types, finding each type favors a specific channel such as email, SMS, phone, or social media. Roughly nine in ten toll scams arrive by email or text, about half of IRS scams come by phone, and MrBeast is impersonated in about 30% of impersonation scams. The most impersonated brands are Google, Microsoft, Apple, Roblox, and Amazon, and Malwarebytes blocks around 500,000 phishing websites daily. Gaming scams on Roblox, Steam, Discord, and Minecraft increasingly carry losses of $1,000 or more, with 15-19% activity spikes in mid-2026.
- 90% of toll scams arrive by email or text; 60% of romance scams start on social media.
- MrBeast impersonated in about 30% of impersonation scams, ahead of Musk and Trump.
- Top impersonated brands: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Roblox, and Amazon.
- Scam texts peak at noon ET, 874% above the quietest hour, and peak on Fridays.
- Half of gaming scams risk losses of $1,000+; Roblox and Steam scams spiked 15-19%.
- Organizations
- MalwarebytesMrBeast
- Countries
- United States
From the original article
5 min read at malwarebytes.com
New Malwarebytes research reveals how different scams are tailored to different platforms.
By @malwarebytes · malwarebytes.com
A short excerpt; the article and its images belong to the publisher. Summary, key facts and assessment above are AI-written from the article and can be wrong.