As the calendar turns and another year wraps up, it’s that time of year again to take a moment to assess where things are headed and what the past twelve months have taught us.
As part of our annual Three Trends series, we asked industry leaders to share their takeaways and predictions.
Today, we hear from Ashley Millar, Director of Consumer Education and Marketing at Trend Micro.
Ashley offers his outlook for the year ahead, his take on the year passed, and an update on how he fared with his 2025 New Year’s resolution.
Looking Ahead
What are three trends to look for in the coming year?
1. AI revs up scam industrialisation, spurs scam economy
In 2026, we will see AI driving the industrialisation of online scams engineered through technology, emotion and psychological manipulation, with mainstream deployment of AI across all types of scams.
Using Generative AI, scammers can convincingly counterfeit traditionally authentic brand markers such as logos, tone, grammar and even video calls. This will enable scammers to create hyper-personalised messages, realistic product images, flawless language, authentic voices, and lifelike videos in minutes that sound and look real, making even the most vigilant consumers second-guess their intuition.
The use of emerging Agentic AI systems to research targets and adapt tactics autonomously will see the deployment of scams at unprecedented scale and speed, turning everyday moments of trust between brands and consumers into opportunities for fraud.
Globally, delivery, billing, and subscription-renewal scams will dominate by volume as AI assistants and other tools increase the speed of e-commerce even further. Relationship and investment scams will remain the most financially damaging, with losses continuing to surge next year.
2. Expansion of multi-channel fraud journeys
Scams today rarely occur on a single platform – many begin with a social media message or text, move to a chat application and finally a fake payment or login site. In the year ahead, we expect this multi-channel scam execution to become a dominant pattern with scammers drawing consumers through the flow even more seamlessly, making it harder for consumers to spot these scams. Scammers are also tapping into instant payment methods, as funds transferred to them via this method are virtually irretrievable.
The use of emerging Agentic AI systems to research targets and adapt tactics autonomously will see the deployment of scams at unprecedented scale and speed.
Multi-channel scams put brand reputation on the line as customers often associate the scam with the brand itself. This can lead to the erosion of trust, negative sentiment, and potential loss of brand loyalty. In 2026 and beyond, fraud prevention and protecting trust will become an important part of brand strategy.
3. Scam protection as a brand’s competitive edge
As online scams become more prevalent next year, consumer expectations will rise around a brand’s ability and responsibility to protect them from scams. We expect to see more scam protection incorporated into marketing efforts and campaigns next year, as brands play a greater part in helping customers interact safely online.
The cornerstone of these efforts will be education, with brands actively sharing scam protection knowledge, tips and skills to enhance digital trust, build brand confidence and retain customer loyalty. Brands will also be looking to double down on fraudulent activities to keep customers safe, such as by actively monitoring and removing any potentially malicious brand impersonations. Across the board, we also hope to see brands implement more stringent safeguards, such as adopting multi-factor authentication for an added level of protection.
Looking Back
Your favorite or least favorite trend of 2025?
Doomscrolling is my least favourite trend of 2025. Although not exactly new, it really came to the forefront this year. With the usage of devices and social media surging, we are doing more and more on our phones and often aren’t as present in our surroundings as a result.
If you could sum up 2025 in one emoji:
😮💨
I can’t believe we are at the end of 2025 already, and this emoji is a reflection on how fast-paced 2025 has felt.
One of your favorite campaigns of 2025:
Uber Eats ‘Turn Back Thyme’ campaign in Australia. Featuring the iconic Cher. The ad mixes celebrity star power with humour, making it memorable.
What was your 2025 New Year’s Resolution, and did you keep it?
Less screen time. Let’s just say it’s very much a work in progress…
Would you like to share your calls on the year ahead and your take on the year past? Drop us a line.
