Scammers are getting smarter about where they target you

Scammers are becoming more strategic about where they target people.

Nine in ten toll scams—the fake unpaid-toll messages that threaten fines or license suspension—arrive by email or text, while roughly six in ten romance scams show up first on social media. That’s no coincidence. Rather than blasting the same message everywhere, criminals are tailoring different scams to the platforms where they’re most likely to succeed.

This finding comes from Malwarebytes’ own threat research systems and draws on global data between April 15 and July 14, 2026. The research reveals the various ways scammers are adapting their tactics and provides new insights about where they show up, when they strike, and which brands they impersonate.

Here’s a look at the key takeaways.

Every scam has a preferred platform

You’re far more likely to receive a fake giveaway scam via a social media feed than you are by email or text. On the other hand, half of all IRS scams will come via a phone call. Malwarebytes measured more than 20 different types of scams, ranging from tech support and refund scams to sextortion and scareware, and found that each one favors a specific platform.

Intuitively, the platforms favored often match the content of a scam—job scams mostly arrive through typical work channels like email, romance scams mostly arrive through social media where meeting strangers is least questioned, and tech support scams mostly arrive through the phone. The channel can also shape how the scam feels: A DM can feel personal, while a phone call creates pressure to respond in the moment.

And prior research shows that scammers often repeat what works , which might explain why they keep doing what they’ve been doing so far.

The web still wins

Despite the rise of social media and messaging apps, scams are reaching us through the web more than any other platform, followed by email and SMS.

No surprise that the web is the most popular doorway.

Scammers are becoming more strategic about where they target people.

Nine in ten toll scams—the fake unpaid-toll messages that threaten fines or license suspension—arrive by email or text, while roughly six in ten romance scams show up first on social media. That’s no coincidence. Rather than blasting the same message everywhere, criminals are tailoring different scams to the platforms where they’re most likely to succeed.

This finding comes from Malwarebytes’ own threat research systems and draws on global data between April 15 and July 14, 2026. The research reveals the various ways scammers are adapting their tactics and provides new insights about where they show up, when they strike, and which brands they impersonate.

Here’s a look at the key takeaways.

Every scam has a preferred platform

You’re far more likely to receive a fake giveaway scam via a social media feed than you are by email or text. On the other hand, half of all IRS scams will come via a phone call. Malwarebytes measured more than 20 different types of scams, ranging from tech support and refund scams to sextortion and scareware, and found that each one favors a specific platform.

Intuitively, the platforms favored often match the content of a scam—job scams mostly arrive through typical work channels like email, romance scams mostly arrive through social media where meeting strangers is least questioned, and tech support scams mostly arrive through the phone. The channel can also shape how the scam feels: A DM can feel personal, while a phone call creates pressure to respond in the moment.

And prior research shows that scammers often repeat what works , which might explain why they keep doing what they’ve been doing so far.

The web still wins

Despite the rise of social media and messaging apps, scams are reaching us through the web more than any other platform, followed by email and SMS.

No surprise that the web is the most popular doorway.