How to Spot Impersonations, Scams and Deepfakes
As cyber threats and fraud scams become more sophisticated, it’s getting harder to tell if an email, text, phone call or even a video call is genuine. Criminals are now using advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, to create convincing fake audio, video and images – known as “deepfakes” – to trick people into sharing personal information or sending money.
Cyber threats and fraud scams annually drive record monetary losses due to their sophisticated nature – in 2025, they amounted to $20.9 billion in losses, a 26% increase over 2024. The average loss of each incident amounted to $20,700.
How to protect yourself:
• Pause and verify: If you receive a request for payment or sensitive information, take a moment to validate it. Contact a trusted person or use official contact information from the organization’s legitimate website to confirm the request.
• Don’t trust caller ID or email addresses: Scammers can make their messages look genuine. If you’re unsure, hang up and call back using a number from an official source, like your bank statement or the company’s website.
your bank statement or the company’s website.
o J.P. Morgan will never ask you for a one-time passcode.
o If someone claims to be a government official, validate their identity through another channel.
o If you get a call about a family emergency, check with another family member or use a pre-arranged “safe word.”
• Be cautious with links and attachments: Don’t click on links or open attachments from unknown sources. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Always type website addresses directly into your browser instead of using provided links.
• Limit what you share online: The less personal information you post on social media, the harder it is for scammers to target you.
• Strengthen your security: Use strong, unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and keep your devices and software up to date.
By staying alert and following these best practices, you can help protect yourself and your accounts from evolving cyber threats.
J.P. Morgan takes security very seriously and continues to invest in the latest technology to help thwart attacks in the ever-evolving threat landscape by using multi-layered approaches to authenticate our clients’ identities, which include, but are not limited to, voice biometrics, mobile device in-app verification and security questions. We will never authenticate a client via one method alone.
Rick Barragan is the Managing Director,
Los Angeles Market Manager, for
J.P. Morgan Private Bank.
[email protected] | (310) 860-3658
privatebank.jpmorgan.com/los-angeles
Source: Cybersecurity, July 13, 2026
