How are Scamsters Using AI to Fleece Individuals? Tips to stay safe

Artificial Intelligence: Since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, artificial intelligence has become a global buzzword. Even if AI is already a part of everyday life for individuals all over the world, everything has a negative counterpart. It offers a good deal of advantages, but it has also been used in some terrifying ways. Reports state that people have abused AI in a number of ways to deceive others. From making deepfakes to cloning someone's voice to mimic friends and family, it has grown to be a serious worry. In this article, we will share with you the ways in which scammers are utilising AI to dupe people.

How are Scammers using Artificial Intelligence?

Even while frauds have been around for ages, fraudsters nowadays utilise artificial intelligence more and more to pull off even more intricate schemes. The ways in which fraudsters are using AI are:

Phishing

Phishing is an impersonation scam that is frequently used, in which the attacker poses as a reliable source in an attempt to obtain confidential information. Phishing emails can appear even more genuine and convincing if scammers use artificial intelligence (AI) to add personalised greetings and improve the company's terminology.

Voice cloning

AI is used in voice cloning to simulate the speech of another person. Scammers may call victims pretending to be friends or family, making up an emergency and demanding money right away. At financial organisations that use voice recognition prompts for security, scammers can also attempt to access victims' financial accounts through AI voice cloning.

Deepfake

One popular method used by fraudsters to trick people is the creation of artificial intelligence deepfakes. A 73-year-old retired government employee from Kozhikode, Kerala, was defrauded of approximately 40,000 rupees in July 2023 using his friend's AI deepfake. Someone posing as his friend called him and demanded money for urgent surgery. In addition to speaking, he also video-called him while pretending to be his friend using AI, which led to the money being transferred.

Extortion

When stealing money from people, scammers also opt for methods such as severe extortion. According to the FBI's recommendation, offenders are also utilising artificial intelligence (AI) to produce sexually graphic photos that they can use as leverage to threaten victims and demand money.

How to stay safe?

• If you are not certain who is calling, never give out personal information over the phone.
• Should someone ask for money or personal information urgently, proceed with caution.
• Hang up and give the business a call if you're unsure.
• Keep up with the most recent con techniques; con artists frequently alter their approaches.
• Inform the authorities right once of any suspicious activities.

Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER.