According to Mastercard data for 2025, AI-based fraud has seen an unprecedented increase. The use of deepfakes, digitally simulated faces and sounds, has expanded more than tenfold since the beginning of 2024, while synthetic identities, profiles created by combining actual and fictitious data, have increased 300%. Italy is a major target in Europe. Six out of ten Italians have reported receiving phishing emails or text messages, and more than half have been the victims of phone scams. Romance scams, which exploit fake profiles, now affect 27% of users, resulting in scams disguised as fictitious emotional bonds. Although the total number of payment cards in illegal marketplaces has dropped by 19% year on year, the quality of stolen data has significantly improved. According to Recorded Future, 82% of the material circulating on the dark web today contains complete personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, and emails. In Italy, over 1.4 million cards are illegally in circulation, which criminals use as the foundation for highly customized attacks, making it practically impossible for consumers to discern between real and fraudulent communications. The evolution of these techniques has a significant impact on the commercial world as well. In addition to traditional ransomware, sophisticated CEO fraud and invoice hijacking techniques are growing. With the European obligation to execute quick bank transfers in around 10 seconds, time has become a criminal's ally: urgency results in immediate payments that are impossible to block once authorized. To counteract these trends, Mastercard has invested more than $12.6 billion in cybersecurity since 2019.