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As artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated, scammers are finding new ways to deceive people. Educating yourself on emerging techniques is one of the best ways to protect yourself and avoid falling victim to trickery.
Here are three rapidly developing ways AI can be used in scams:
Phishing is one of the top ways cyber criminals trick people, and the use of AI has made phishing attempts even harder to detect.
A couple ways AI makes phishing harder to spot:
Anytime a message asks you for money, passwords, verification codes (like one-time passcodes), or personal information, your “spidey” senses should go haywire! Just because a message seems convincing doesn’t mean it’s real. Always double-check by using a different mode of communication, even if an email or message seems authentic.
Since AI can generate custom images and videos, reverse image search tools like Google Lens can’t reveal if those images or videos have been copied from elsewhere. This means generated images or videos used in scams or disinformation campaigns are more difficult to spot.
Technology has progressed such that AI images are even more advanced. While some AI images still have telltale flaws, like extra limbs or unnatural shadows, many are now nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
You may not always recognize AI-generated content, so, first and foremost, ask yourself if the content has red flags and then act accordingly. Read about common characteristics of scams here.
When in doubt, don’t trust an image or video at face value. Verify content through trusted sources and official channels before sharing it or making decisions based on it.
Vishing (voice phishing) is where cyber criminals call victims and trick them out of their money or personal information by pretending to be trusted people or organizations. It is possible for AI to use voice recordings to generate speech that mimic someone’s voice, like a family member, and it can be almost impossible to tell they’re fake.
A common tactic is for AI to generate a recording of a voice of a loved one to scare victims into sending money or personal information to “help” them. If someone claiming to be a friend or family member calls you in distress with an urgent request, make sure you verify their identity by contacting them through another method. Consider establishing a family “safe word” or verification question that only trusted family members would know.
Be cautious if anyone claiming to represent a government agency or law enforcement organization requests immediate payment, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or sensitive personal information over the phone. Legitimate organizations provide official processes to verify identity and resolve issues.
It happens to the best of us! If you think you might have sent money to or shared sensitive information with someone you shouldn’t have, there are steps to take. Read all about what you can do here.
Click here to read all about how to stay cyber-safe, and check back regularly to always stay in the know!
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