The Weekly Breach Breakdown Podcast: AI Without a Manual - AI Scams Are Getting Smarter, Are We? - S7E3

Show Transcript

Welcome to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) Weekly Breach Breakdown for January 23, 2026. I am Tatiana Cuadras, Communications Assistant for the ITRC. Thanks to Sentilink for their support of the podcast and the ITRC. Each week, we look at the most recent events and trends related to data security and privacy. This week, we will discuss how artificial intelligence, also known as AI, is reshaping cybersecurity and what that means for businesses and consumers when it comes to AI scams and identity misuse.  

Instead of focusing on a single breach, we’re taking a step back to examine a broader shift shaping today’s cyber risks: the growing role of artificial intelligence. AI has rapidly moved from a buzzword to a tool many organizations rely on every day. It allows people to work faster, process large amounts of data, and automate tasks that once took significantly more time. However, as AI has become more deeply embedded in daily tasks, the risks tied to its use have grown alongside it. 

AI is now one of the top cybersecurity concerns for business leaders. Organizations are trying to balance its benefits with legal and reputational challenges, often while safeguards and policies struggle to keep up. Not every organization or region is equally prepared, leaving uneven levels of exposure. 

When AI-related issues surface, such as AI scams, the consequences extend beyond technology teams. Businesses may face financial pressure and lose trust among customers and employees. In some cases, companies are forced to make difficult decisions just to remain operational, with effects that reach beyond the organization itself. 

 For individuals, the impact can feel immediate. Fraud and identity misuse can disrupt finances, damage credit and create a long timeline of constant stress. As AI scams become more refined, they do not always look suspicious, and messages that feel familiar or urgent can catch people off guard. 

Zooming out, this all points to a larger challenge. Technology continues to advance faster than the rules meant to govern it. With different regions responding in different ways, protections remain inconsistent, making it harder to know where safeguards exist and where vulnerabilities remain. 

What does evolution in AI scams mean for people? 

• Familiarity can be misleading. The more “normal” a message feels, the more cautious people need to be. 
• Staying secure now requires awareness from organizations, leaders, and individuals alike. 
• Awareness and caution are just as important as technical defenses. 

If you want to know more about how to protect your business or personal information, how AI scams are evolving, or think you have been the victim of identity theft, fraud or a scam, you can speak with an expert ITRC advisor on the phone, chat live on the web or exchange emails during our normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-5 p.m. PST). Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.  

Thanks again to Sentilink for their support of the ITRC and this podcast. Please hit the like button for this episode and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Next week, we will have an episode of our sister podcast, the Fraudian Slip, as the Federal Trade Commission joins us to discuss the evolution of identity theft as part of Identity Theft Awareness Week 2026.  

We will return next month with another episode of the Weekly Breach Breakdown. I’m Tatiana Cuadras. Until then, thanks for listening.