Phone scams are constantly evolving. Whilst some age-old techniques such as voice phishing (vishing) persist, 2026 has seen the emergence of new, particularly sophisticated methods that exploit the latest technological advances, notably artificial intelligence. Here is an overview of the main phone scams identified this year in France.
1. AI voice cloning
One of the most worrying trends of 2026 is the use of artificial intelligence to clone the voice of loved ones. Scammers obtain audio recordings (from videos posted on social networks, for example) and use voice synthesis software to imitate the voice of a close relative — child, parent, colleague. The typical scenario: you receive a call from a voice that strangely resembles that of your son or daughter urgently asking you to make a transfer because they are in a difficult situation.
How to protect yourself: Establish a secret code word with your loved ones to use in emergencies to confirm the caller's identity. Hang up and call back on a known number if you have the slightest doubt.
2. The fake bank adviser scam
This scam continues to cause damage in 2026 and is becoming increasingly sophisticated. An individual claiming to be your bank adviser calls to report fraudulent activity on your account. They know some of your personal information (obtained from a previous data breach) which makes them credible. They ask you to validate operations to "secure" your account, or to provide them with validation codes received by SMS. In reality, these codes authorise transfers to fraudulent accounts.
3. The one-ring scam
Your phone rings once from an exotic foreign number then hangs up. The aim is to entice you to call back out of curiosity. These numbers are premium services that charge you several euros on connection and several euros per minute during the call. Golden rule: never call back a foreign number you do not recognise.
How to protect yourself overall?
The most effective rule remains systematic mistrust towards any unsolicited call. Always check unknown numbers on TelCheck before calling back. Never communicate codes received by SMS to a telephone caller. Report any suspected scam to Signal Conso and to the police via service-public.fr.