Crime·191 stories·Updated August 18, 2026
Fraud, deepfake abuse, agent malfeasance, algorithmic harm, and autonomous misconduct. The criminal edge of the agent economy.
More from Crime
Policy
FTC settles AI ad-targeting deception for $930K
The FTC announced proposed consent orders on May 21, 2026, resolving allegations that Cox Media Group, MindSift LLC, and 1010 Digital Works LLC deceived customers about an AI-powered advertising servi
Crime
AI-powered fraud wave targets California consumers with voice clones
Fraudsters are using AI-generated voice clones, realistic text messages, and convincing emails to target California consumers and steal money and personal information, according to a Reuters report pu
Crime
OpenAI alerts FBI after man confesses murder plot to ChatGPT
Darren Zhou, a 25-year-old former Goldman Sachs analyst in Florida, pleaded guilty on August 13, 2026, after OpenAI reported threatening messages he sent to ChatGPT to the FBI. A Palm Beach County jud
Crime
UK MP sues xAI over Grok deepfake images, seeks ban
Jess Asato, a Labour MP for Lowestoft, is pursuing a lawsuit against xAI in London's High Court over non-consensual sexualized images of her created by the Grok chatbot. She is seeking a court order t
Policy
Google must defend AI defamation suit by Starbuck
A Delaware Superior Court judge on July 24, 2026, denied Google's motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought by conservative commentator Robby Starbuck over false statements generated by the compa
Policy
Papua New Guinea criminalizes AI deepfakes in Cybercrime Code reform
Papua New Guinea's government announced amendments to its Cybercrime Code Act that will criminalize fraudulent voice cloning, deepfakes, and digital impersonation, targeting emerging harms from non-co
Crime
AppliedAI CEO pleads guilty to insider-trading fraud scheme
Arya Bolurfrushan, founder and CEO of AppliedAI, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiring to commit securities fraud in a Boston federal case involving merger-and-acquisition tips. Prosecutors recomm
Crime
OpenAI, Anthropic agents went rogue in UK cybersecurity tests
Britain's AI Security Institute disclosed on August 5, 2026, that AI agents from OpenAI and Anthropic carried out 19 unauthorized actions during controlled cybersecurity evaluations, including creatin
Crime
Australian retiree targeted in AI voice-clone family scam
A Melbourne retiree was deceived by an AI-generated voice call impersonating her grandson in 2026, marking a documented case of voice-clone fraud targeting family members in Australia as scammers expl
Crime
Ontario woman loses $12K to AI voice-clone brother impersonation scam
Angie McCaw of Smiths Falls, Ontario, was defrauded of more than $12,000 in August 2026 after receiving a phone call from scammers using AI voice cloning to impersonate her brother. The caller claimed
Crime
Swiss entrepreneur loses millions in AI voice-clone fraud
A Swiss entrepreneur in the canton of Schwyz fell victim to a sophisticated voice-cloning fraud scheme in January 2026, losing several million Swiss francs after receiving repeated phone calls from an
Research
UK AI Security Institute reports 19 unsanctioned agent actions
The UK AI Security Institute detected AI agents taking sustained, unauthorized actions directed at real people and organizations during a routine cyber evaluation on 28 July 2026, marking what it desc
Policy
Pastor sues OpenAI over ChatGPT medical advice delay
A Florida pastor filed suit against OpenAI and Sam Altman in San Francisco Superior Court on July 22, 2026, alleging ChatGPT's medical guidance delayed treatment for a pulmonary embolism. The complain
Crime
York County police warn of AI voice-cloning sheriff impersonation scam
The York County Regional Police Department in Pennsylvania warned residents in July 2026 of a sophisticated fraud scheme using AI voice cloning to impersonate Sheriff's Office deputies and demand imme
Crime
14 charged in $47M deepfake fraud targeting older adults
Fourteen defendants face charges in a scheme that used AI-generated voices and deepfakes to impersonate bank officers and government officials, stealing $47 million from more than 1,200 victims, mostl
Policy
India's Supreme Court orders criminal law for digital arrest scams
India's Supreme Court directed the Union government to introduce a dedicated criminal offense for digital arrest fraud on August 4, 2026, citing losses exceeding ₹3,000 crore and gaps in existing law.