AI browsers are no longer just an idea; they’re already here. Microsoft has built Copilot into Edge, OpenAI is testing a sandboxed browser in agent mode and Perplexity’s Comet is one of the first to fully embrace the concept of browsing for you.
This is agentic AI stepping into our daily routines, from searching and reading to shopping and clicking. Instead of simply assisting us, these tools are beginning to replace us.
But with this shift comes a new era of digital deception. AI-powered browsers may promise convenience by handling shopping, emails and other tasks, yet research shows they can stumble into scams faster than humans ever could. This dangerous mix of speed and trust is what experts call Scamlexity, a complex, AI-driven scam landscape where your agent gets tricked, and you pay the price.
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Falling for the same old tricks
AI browsers are not immune to classic scams. In fact, they can fall for them even faster. When researchers at Guardio Labs told an AI browser to buy an Apple Watch, it confidently completed the purchase on a fake Walmart store set up in minutes. It autofilled personal and payment details without hesitation. The scammer got the money, while the human never saw the red flags.
Handling phishing emails from ‘your bank’
Old phishing tactics also remain effective. In testing, researchers at Guardio Labs sent a fake Wells Fargo email to the AI browser. The browser clicked the malicious link with no verification and even helped the user fill out login credentials on the phishing page. By removing human intuition from the loop, the AI created a perfect trust chain that scammers could exploit.
PromptFix: A modern AI injection scam
The real danger comes from attacks designed specifically for AI. Researchers at Guardio Labs created PromptFix, a scam disguised as a CAPTCHA page. While humans would only see a checkbox, the AI agent read hidden malicious instructions in the page code. Believing it was ‘helping,’ the AI clicked the button, triggering a download that could have been malware. This type of prompt injection bypasses human awareness and targets the AI’s decision-making directly. Once compromised, the AI can send emails, share files or execute harmful tasks without the user ever knowing.
The growing risks of AI browsers
As agentic AI becomes mainstream, scams will scale at an alarming speed. Instead of fooling millions of people individually, attackers need only to compromise one AI model to reach millions at once. Security experts warn this is a structural risk, not just a phishing problem.
Tips to protect yourself from AI browser scams
AI browsers can save time, but they can also put you at risk if you rely on them too much. Use these practical steps to stay in control and reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
1) Stay in control of your AI
Always double-check sensitive actions like purchases, downloads or logins. Keep final approval in your hands instead of letting the AI complete tasks on its own. This way, you prevent scammers from sneaking past your awareness.
2) Use a personal data removal service
Scammers rely on exposed personal details to make their tricks more convincing. A trusted data removal service can help scrub your information from broker sites, reducing the chance that your AI agent hands over details that are already floating around online. While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy.
These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
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3) Use strong antivirus software
Install and keep strong antivirus software updated. It adds an extra line of defense that can catch threats your AI browser may miss, including malicious files and unsafe downloads. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
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4) Consider using a password manager
A trusted password manager helps you generate and store strong, unique passwords. It can also alert you if the AI agent tries to reuse weak or compromised passwords when logging into sites.
Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.
Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com.
5) Watch your accounts closely
Review your bank and credit card statements often. If your AI agent shops or manages accounts for you, always cross-check receipts and login records. Quick action on suspicious charges can stop a scam from spreading further.
6) Beware of hidden AI instructions
Scammers hide malicious instructions in the code your AI reads, and the agent may follow them without question. If something feels wrong, stop the task and handle it manually.
Kurt’s key takeaways
AI browsers bring convenience, but they also bring risk. By removing human judgment from critical tasks, they expose a wider scam surface than ever before. Scamlexity is a wake-up call: The AI you trust could be tricked in ways you never see coming. Staying safe means staying alert and demanding stronger guardrails in every AI tool you use.
Would you trust an AI browser to handle your banking and shopping, or is the risk of Scamlexity too high? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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