Romanians who cannot distinguish fake online content generated using artificial intelligence (AI) from genuine content are more than five times more exposed to digital fraud (71%) than those who can recognise it (13%), according to the latest Visa study.
According to a company press release, online scams in Romania cause economic losses of more than 800 million lei (160 million euros) annually. These data confirm that misinformation and fake digital content increase users' vulnerability. At the same time, they highlight the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders to protect consumers and restore trust in commercial platforms.
Romanian users who fall victim to digital scams lose, on average, 731 lei per incident, while a quarter (25%) spend more than 24 hours trying to resolve the issue. The impact goes beyond financial losses, encompassing emotional stress and anxiety, as well as reduced productivity. As a result, more than a third (37%) of Romanians targeted by a digital scam hesitate to make online purchases, the study also shows.
"Artificial intelligence plays a major role in improving how we live and work - from personalised experiences to operational efficiency - but it also brings new risks. Criminals are increasingly using this tool to deceive and exploit, eroding trust in online channels. It has become increasingly easy to confuse what is fake with what is real, with real-life consequences including the loss of money, time and trust. These are the reasons why Visa invests in AI-driven innovation in collaboration with partners across the industry. Only through joint action can we provide consumers with the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe," said Elena Ungureanu, Visa country manager in Romania, as quoted in the release.
How users interact with the online environment also plays a key role. Romanians who share or post digital content before checking its accuracy are more prone to scams (37%) compared with those who verify it first and only then share it (30%). Daily online habits - such as skimming headlines, resharing without verification and impulsively consuming AI-generated content - create new vulnerabilities that criminals exploit rapidly. Nearly a third of Romanian users (29%) have reshared a post at least a few times without checking its authenticity.
According to Visa, in today's highly dynamic digital landscape, Romanians want payment solutions that combine security with efficiency and convenience. For almost 80% of consumers in Romania, security is the most important aspect of online payments; among them, 90% would choose a payment method that offers greater safety.
Artificial intelligence has played a key role in Visa's fraud prevention strategy since the early 1990s. For more than three decades, the company has used AI-based tools to keep payments secure and stay one step ahead of growing threats. In the past five years alone, the company has invested 13 billion dollars in technology and infrastructure. As a result, the integrity of the payments ecosystem is protected, with Visa preventing losses of more than 40 billion dollars annually, directly contributing to lower fraud rates.
Awareness is just as important as technology: almost three in ten (29%) Romanians believe that artificial intelligence will make scams harder to detect on social media.
The research was conducted by Opinium on behalf of Visa between August and September 2025, on a total sample of 9,500 adults (18+), nationally representative for each of the 11 European markets analysed: Romania, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. In Romania, the study was based on a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults (18+).
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