Artificial Intelligence (AI) has thoroughly transformed the way we accomplish tasks and is gradually integrating into our daily lives, but like many technological innovations, AI is a double-edged sword.
AI can make life easier, but it also opens the door to online scams and financial crimes, with criminals using AI to deceive people and even steal their identity information. Understanding AI scams is crucial in the modern world.
You may receive a call from a robot claiming to be a family member in a crisis and urgently needing money. Before reaching for your bank card, it’s important to be vigilant as it could be a scam.
This relates to the technology of voice cloning. Scammers obtain snippets of someone speaking, including from social media, and then use voice synthesis technology to generate an identical voice.
These tactics are also known as “grandparent scams,” where fraudsters often pretend to be grandchildren, convincing elderly individuals that they need urgent financial help.
This is crucial. Voice cloning scammers often create a strong sense of urgency. If you feel the situation on the phone is too urgent, it’s entirely appropriate to hang up and directly contact the person to verify the situation.
Some experts also suggest using a secret code among family members to confirm identities, but it should be as discreet as possible, avoiding easily accessible content on social media and refraining from sharing it through email or other channels, which could also be compromised. The secret code should only be passed down verbally among family members.
But what if the caller isn’t a family member but someone you admire? There have been instances of voice cloning scammers replicating the voices of celebrities and public figures, generating automated voice calls to deceive victims into donating to a charity or investment scheme.
For such calls, it’s advisable to hang up immediately. If you are curious, consider checking the official website of these individuals or verified social media accounts to see if they are associated with any organizations.
This scam is similar to voice cloning calls but introduces a convincing element: video. Scammers use AI-generated fake video footage or disguise themselves as your family members for video calls. In these situations, they may create a sense of urgency to request money, direct you to malicious websites, or trick you into providing sensitive financial information that could be used for theft.
Experience tells us: if a situation seems extremely urgent and requires money, it’s essential to be cautious. After hanging up, try to contact the person directly. Also, be wary of similar videos elsewhere – they may appear in online ads and social media platforms, often involving celebrities and news anchors.
Scammers create malicious websites generated by AI. In some cases, these websites pose as fake retail stores or marketplace platforms. You may come across links to these malicious websites on social media, texts, or emails.
In some scenarios, they may list popular items you are searching for at incredibly low prices. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is a scam. Scammers may use pretexts of “processing orders” to obtain your financial information, leaving you without the ordered goods. They may retain your sensitive financial information, which could be sold on the dark web or used for fraudulent transactions.
These scams are not limited to popular products and may also involve apartment and housing listing information.
If you suspect you are a victim of such scams, immediately contact your financial institution to understand how to proceed. In some cases, you may be able to recover the defrauded funds.
If you suspect you are a victim of fraud, be sure to promptly report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Phishing has always been scammers’ preferred method. They often disguise themselves as seemingly legitimate sources in emails, such as your employer, relatives, or government agencies. Scammers use these emails to deceive you into transferring money or revealing sensitive information like your financial details, passwords, and social security numbers. Sometimes, they send links to fraudulent websites or malicious software aimed at compromising your devices and stealing personal information.
In the past, people could identify phishing emails through signs like spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and non-official email addresses, but with the advancement of AI technology, these emails have become more realistic and harder to discern. Therefore, if you receive an email claiming to be from a credible institution demanding money or sensitive information, close it immediately, do not click any links, and delete it.
Contact the relevant institutions directly through official phone numbers or their official websites.
Remember, financial institutions and businesses will never ask for your password via email, phone, or text.
AI has significantly simplified task completion, but it has also provided new tools for online scams and financial crimes. Criminals deceive unsuspecting victims using advanced technology. People may fall into deepfaked phone or video call scams, AI-assisted phishing scams, leading to the loss of all funds in their bank accounts, retirement savings, or even their identity being stolen.
Staying vigilant is crucial, especially with any communication involving money transfers or providing sensitive information like passwords, financial details, and social security numbers. Analyze the situation carefully. When necessary, consult trusted friends to help identify potential scam behavior through their eyes.