Crime·22 stories·Updated May 30, 2026
Fraud, deepfake abuse, agent malfeasance, algorithmic harm, and autonomous misconduct. The criminal edge of the agent economy.
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Crime
FBI reports AI scams stole hundreds of millions in 2025
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center documented more than $893 million in losses from 22,364 AI-related fraud complaints in 2025, marking the first year the agency tracked such crimes as a distin
Crime
Nx npm attack weaponizes AI coding agents for data theft
A supply-chain attack discovered in August 2025 exploited stolen npm publishing credentials to distribute malicious versions of the Nx package ecosystem, injecting code designed to manipulate AI codin
Crime
AI voice clone used to extort mother in kidnapping scam
Jennifer DeStefano of Arizona received a phone call from an AI-generated voice impersonating her daughter and demanding ransom, leading her to send $4,000 within minutes. The incident, in which the ar
Crime
Perplexity's Comet agent sued for unauthorized Amazon access
Amazon filed suit against Perplexity AI in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging its Comet browser agent accessed password-protected Amazon pages using stored customer
Crime
Context AI compromise led to Vercel employee account takeover
A third-party AI tool called Context.ai was compromised in April 2026, giving attackers access to a Vercel employee's Google Workspace and Vercel accounts. The incident marked the first confirmed auto
Crime
FBI: $893M in AI-Driven Fraud Losses Reported in 2025
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center reported 22,364 AI-related cybercrime complaints and $893 million in losses during 2025, marking the first time in the center's 25-year history that it dedicate
Crime
California court dismisses case after detecting AI deepfakes in eviden
Alameda County Superior Court dismissed a civil lawsuit with prejudice after finding that multiple video testimonials, photographs, and chat exhibits submitted as evidence were AI-generated or artific
Crime
FTC settles Air AI case over deceptive agent claims
The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with Air AI on March 24, 2026, after the company made deceptive claims about business growth and earnings potential tied to its autonomous agent pla
Crime
WPP CEO Targeted in AI Voice-Clone Fraud Scheme
Mark Read, CEO of WPP advertising firm, was targeted by scammers using AI-generated voice cloning and fake social media accounts in May 2024. The fraud attempt, which leveraged deepfake audio combined
Crime
AI deepfakes impersonate Arup executives, steal $25.6M in Hong Kong
Scammers using AI deepfakes impersonated Arup Group Ltd.'s CFO and executives in a video call, tricking a Hong Kong finance employee into authorizing $25 million in fraudulent transfers during Februar
Crime
AI voice cloning used in virtual kidnapping extortion targeting U.S. m
Scammers used AI-cloned voices of family members to extort ransoms from American mothers in Montana and Arizona in 2023-2024. Neither victim paid, but the incidents exposed how voice synthesis tools h
Crime
Appeals court fines lawyers $30K for AI-generated fake citations
A U.S. appeals court imposed a $30,000 fine on two attorneys in March 2026 after they submitted legal briefs containing fabricated citations generated by artificial intelligence. The sanction marks an
Crime
Singapore finance officer loses $500K to deepfake audio fraud
A finance officer at a Singaporean multinational transferred nearly $500,000 to fraudsters in February 2026 after receiving a video call with AI-generated deepfake audio mimicking company leadership.
Crime
Oregon Court Sanctions Lawyer $10K for AI-Fabricated Citations
The Oregon Court of Appeals imposed a $10,000 sanction in March 2026 against an attorney who used AI to generate fictitious legal cases in court filings. The penalty marks an escalating pattern of jud
Crime
Ohio man convicted in first Take It Down Act case involving AI-generat
James Strahler II pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio to cybercrimes involving both real and AI-generated explicit material. Prosecutors described the conviction as the first under
Policy
FTC Enforces Take It Down Act for AI Deepfakes May 19
The Federal Trade Commission begins enforcement of the Take It Down Act on May 19, 2026, requiring major tech platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate images and AI-generated deepfakes within 48 hou