Summer is supposed to be about vacations, concerts, beaches, and relaxing. Unfortunately, scammers see the season as opportunity. According to new data from Norton and parent company Gen Digital, scam activity spikes heavily during the summer months, with criminals increasingly using artificial intelligence to trick victims into handing over money, credentials, and personal information.
The company’s newly released “Scam Free Summer” report highlights ten scams expected to surge between now and Labor Day, and some of them are getting disturbingly convincing. AI-powered romance scams, voice cloning, fake booking confirmations, and fraudulent sports betting sites are all part of the mix.
One of the more alarming trends is something Norton calls “reservation hijacking.” In these attacks, scammers use real hotel names, real travel dates, and sometimes even legitimate confirmation numbers to redirect travelers to fake payment pages. With so many people booking summer trips online, it is easy to see how victims could panic and quickly enter payment information without slowing down to verify the site.
Concert and sports ticket scams are also exploding. Fake ticket sites often appear above legitimate sellers in search results thanks to paid advertisements. That means even people trying to do the right thing by searching Google can still end up on a fraudulent page.
AI is making things significantly worse. Norton says voice cloning and deepfake technology are helping scammers create more believable impersonation attacks. Romance scams have evolved far beyond poorly written emails and suspicious profile photos. Some scammers now use convincing AI-generated video chats and cloned voices to build trust with victims over time.
I have already seen fake package delivery texts constantly this year. The messages usually try to create panic by claiming a shipment cannot be delivered unless you immediately click a link. It is the same basic trick every time, but clearly enough people still fall for it to keep these campaigns profitable.
According to the company’s data, imposter scams jumped 144 percent during last summer compared to the rest of the year. Package delivery scams rose 89 percent, while gambling fraud climbed 88 percent thanks to major sporting events and seasonal betting activity.
The full list of scams Norton expects to dominate summer 2026 includes reservation hijack scams, AI romance scams, imposter scams, package delivery scams, fake ticket scams, parking ticket text scams, gambling scams, crypto fraud, tech support scams, and lottery scams.
The frustrating part is that many of these scams rely on people being distracted. Summer schedules are chaotic. Families are traveling. Kids are home from school. People are buying tickets, booking hotels, and clicking links quickly on their phones while standing in line somewhere. Scammers know that.
There is also a broader issue here that companies do not always want to admit. Search ads and sponsored listings can sometimes help fraudulent sites appear more legitimate than they actually are. If a fake booking page or fake ticket marketplace appears at the top of search results, many users assume it has already been vetted.
The safest approach remains boring but effective: never trust links sent through unsolicited texts or emails, double-check website URLs manually, and avoid rushing through purchases when emotions are involved. Scammers thrive on urgency.
Norton says its Genie AI assistant can help identify suspicious messages, websites, and calls before users become victims. Whether consumers actually want another AI tool monitoring their inbox, however, is another conversation entirely. With that said, the warning about summer scams is probably worth paying attention to.
Support independent tech journalism
NERDS.xyz is independently owned and operated. If you enjoy my coverage of Linux, AI, hardware, cybersecurity, and tech culture, consider supporting the site on Ko-fi.
Support NERDS.xyz