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AI-Powered Scams Are Exploding in 2025 — Here’s How to Stay Safe in 2026 - 12/31/2025 Artificial Intelligence is everywhere in 2025 — and unfortunately, cybercriminals are using it just as aggressively as legitimate businesses. Over the past few months, we’ve seen a sharp rise in AI-powered scams affecting home users and small businesses across the Twin Cities. These aren’t the obvious scam emails from years past. Today’s threats are smarter, more convincing, and harder to spot. Let’s break down what’s happening — and how you can protect yourself. 🤖 What Makes AI Scams So Dangerous? Modern scams now use AI to: Perfect grammar and tone in phishing emails Impersonate real people using cloned voices or fake video Personalize attacks using data scraped from social media Bypass traditional antivirus with fileless malware In other words, if you’re relying on “I’ll know it when I see it,” that’s no longer enough. 📞 The Rise of Voice & Text Impersonation Scams One of the fastest-growing threats we’re seeing locally is AI voice cloning. Scammers can now: Clone a family member’s voice from a short social media clip Call or text claiming there’s an emergency Pressure victims into sending money or gift cards immediately 💡 Tip: Always verify urgent requests with a second method (call back, text another family member, or ask a question only they would know). 💻 Ransomware Isn’t Just for Big Companies Anymore Home users and small businesses are now prime targets. We’re regularly helping customers recover from: Locked PCs demanding payment Lost photos, documents, and QuickBooks files Infected backups that were never tested ⚠️ Paying the ransom does not guarantee your files back. ✅ How Twin Cities PC Repair Helps Protect You Here’s what we’re actively helping our customers with: ✔️ Removing hidden malware and ransomware ✔️ Securing email accounts and PCs ✔️ Setting up real, tested backups ✔️ Hardening Windows security settings ✔️ Educating families and small businesses on scam awareness Most infections we see could have been prevented with a simple checkup. 🛡️ When Was Your Last PC Security Check? If it’s been over a year — or you’re not sure — now is the perfect time. Whether your computer feels slow, you’ve received suspicious emails, or you just want peace of mind, we’re here to help. 📍 Locally owned🧑‍💻 Residential & small business support🔧 Honest, no-pressure service Reach out to Twin Cities PC Repair today and stay one step ahead of today’s smarter cyber threats. Read the full article