The proliferation of scams and frauds leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to deceive unsuspecting individuals and organisations is, as expected, on the rise. Even when encountering seemingly legitimate information or requests stay aware and diligent.
AI scams
AI-powered scams leverage sophisticated algorithms and machine learning techniques to manipulate and deceive users. They can take on various forms, including:
Phishing Attacks
AI can generate highly convincing emails, messages, or websites designed to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details.
Deepfake Impersonations
Deepfake technology uses AI to create fake videos or audio recordings that convincingly mimic real individuals, leading to identity theft or fraudulent transactions.
Chatbot Deception
AI-powered chatbots can imitate human-like interactions, luring users into sharing personal information or making financial transactions with fraudulent entities.
Here is an eye-opening news report with some real examples of how this these scams are executed: https://lnkd.in/gxvkWNKN
How to avoid AI scams
So how can we protect our families and companies from scams?
With regards to voice AI scams, one great tip, as mentioned in the report, is to use a pre-arranged ‘safe’ word that only you will know. This principle could be used in a business too.
Besides enabling MFA for apps and password protection, a simple method for all employees to verify the authenticity of emails is the ‘SLAM’ method.
S - Sender – carefully scrutinise the sender’s mail address.
L – Links – a link can lead you anywhere so know what you’re clicking on before taking any action, hover over the link to check the destination URL.
A – Attachments – Email contacts lists can be compromised so even if the sender is someone you know be careful before opening any unsolicited attachments
M – Message – though AI can create legitimate looking messages, the content can be suspicious, unexpected, generic or prompt you to immediate action.
If you are among the 1 in 4 people globally who have experienced a voice cloning or other scams, be sure to report it as soon as possible.
Scams are the new global pandemic; we need to work together to outsmart these threat actors.
Where to report scams in Australia - https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam