Scams and bots: the internet isn't what it used to be

The internet in 2025: the jungle of scams and AI profiles lurking for you

If you've tried to buy something second-hand on Wallapop or find a partner on a dating app since 2024, you know what we're talking about. More and more transactions and contacts hide a scam. Profiles generated by artificial intelligence, bots simulating human conversations, and ads that clone legitimate websites have become the new normal. The feeling that the internet has stopped being an open space and turned into a minefield is widespread.

How sophisticated scams have become

It's no longer the typical Nigerian prince. Scams are now surgical. From Facebook accounts with videos of a supposed female trucker crying because her family won't accept her lifestyle, to bookings on forums that demand payment upfront in cryptocurrencies or Bizum (a Spanish instant payment app). Artificial intelligence has made it possible to create perfect profiles that hook the unsuspecting. As the analyses point out, if you used to be scammed because there was no information, today you're scammed because there's too much of it and it's hard to tell the real from the fake.

The dead internet theory

The concept of the "dead internet" is gaining trinc. The idea that most content is generated by bots and that humans are a minority online no longer seems conspiratorial. Google searches only return websites from major media outlets or paid results. One user sums it up with a street graffiti: "The internet is a farm that only produces headaches". The irony is that, despite having more detection tools than ever, the sophistication of scammers is growing at the same pace.

The worst part is that scammers have learned to use our own tools – AI, social media, instant payments – against us. And while platforms tighten identity verification, scams become harder to detect. The internet promised as a global agora has become a bazaar where everyone is trying to sell you smoke.