Robocalls, AI Scams & Identity Verification: How to Block Them
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has made it harder to tell legitimate human interactions from automated or AI-driven impersonations. Modern AI can convincingly replicate voices and generate realistic video calls, enabling malicious actors to exploit technology for financial gain, identity theft, and unauthorized data collection. Fraudsters often impersonate banks, government officials, business associates, or family members via robocalls, text messages, and video calls—and some use deepfake technologies to make scams highly convincing.
The scale of the problem is staggering. U.S. consumers received over 52 billion robocalls in 2025, a large share of which were spam or scam-related. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults report experiencing some form of online scam or attack, often through phone calls, text messages, or emails at least weekly. No demographic is immune: Deloitte reports that Generation Z is more likely to fall victim to online scams than Baby Boomers.
Key Statistics
| Statistic | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total robocalls in 2025 (U.S.) | 52.5 billion | [1] |
| Percentage of U.S. adults experiencing online scams | 73% | [2] |
| Reported losses from phone-based scams | $948 million | [3] |
| Median loss per victim (phone-based scam) | $1,500 | [3] |
| Generation Z likelihood of falling for online scams vs. Baby Boomers | 3× | [4] |
Core Technical Challenges
The persistence of robocalls and AI-driven scams highlights the limits of traditional verification. Effective mitigation requires tackling several challenges at once:
| Challenge | Description |
|---|---|
| Human verification | Distinguish humans from bots or AI-generated avatars |
| Uniqueness assurance | Prevent one person from impersonating many identities |
| Privacy protection | Keep biometric and personal data secure |
| Decentralization | Avoid single points of failure that scammers can exploit |
World ID: Privacy-Preserving Proof of Human
World ID provides a cryptographically secure way to verify that someone is both human and unique—a form of proof of personhood that blocks bots and sybil attacks. Using Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) and Anonymized Multi-Party Computation (AMPC), World ID lets users prove humanness and uniqueness without revealing personal information. Biometric data—such as facial and eye scans—are captured by the verification Orb and stay encrypted on the user’s device, so no sensitive information is sent to or stored in a central database.
Spritz supports World ID as one of several authentication options, so you can sign in with proof of personhood and join a human-verified network.
Accessibility
To keep the system inclusive, World ID also supports passport scanning as an alternative to the Orb. Users who cannot reach an Orb due to location, mobility, or other constraints can still verify securely while preserving privacy.
Spritz Chat: Human-Only, Decentralized Communication
Spritz is a decentralized social platform offering peer-to-peer messaging, video calls, and livestreaming—built on blockchain technology so there are no centralized servers for scammers to target. Key properties:
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Peer-to-peer communication | Lowers risks of interception, surveillance, and AI impersonation |
| Blockchain routing | Improves security and resilience against attacks |
| Human-only access | Only verified humans can participate; bots and scammers are blocked |
When combined with World ID, Spritz Chat forms a human-only network, reducing exposure to robocalls, AI impersonation, and identity fraud.
Combined Impact
Together, World ID and Spritz Chat address these threats more effectively than traditional, centralized systems:
| Problem | Traditional systems | Spritz Chat + World ID |
|---|---|---|
| Robocalls & spam | Rampant | Blocked |
| AI voice & video scams | Can deceive users | Prevented |
| Identity spoofing | Easy | Impractical |
| Privacy protection | Limited | Built-in |
| Accessibility | Limited | Orb + passport verification |
Conclusion
In a world where billions of robocalls and AI-driven scams occur every year, combining World ID with Spritz Chat offers a meaningful step toward safer communication. By pairing privacy-preserving human verification with a decentralized, human-only network, this approach sets a higher bar for protecting users against identity theft, online fraud, and AI-powered impersonation.
Learn More
- Spritz Introduction — Overview of Spritz and decentralized messaging
- Getting Started — Set up Spritz with World ID or other sign-in options
- Authentication — World ID, passkeys, and login flows
- Messaging — How Spritz's peer-to-peer messaging works
- Video Calls — Secure video and voice calling
References
-
YouMail Robocall Index. U.S. Consumers Received 52.5 Billion Robocalls in 2025. https://www.robocallindex.com/
-
Pew Research Center. Online Scams and Attacks in America Today, 2025. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/07/31/online-scams-and-attacks-in-america-today/
-
Federal Trade Commission. Top Scams of 2024. https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/03/top-scams-2024
-
Deloitte Insights. Connectivity and Mobile Trends Survey, 2025. https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/telecommunications/connectivity-mobile-trends-survey.html