Thieves are utilizing AI technology such as ChatGPT to deceive customers. Here are some ways to identify fraudulent activities.
Cybercriminals tend to pounce on shoppers around the holidays, posing as retailers offering deep discounts in order to capture consumers’ spending on gifts. This year, scammers based in the U.S. and abroad have a new tool at their disposal that’s helping to upgrade their efforts: ChatGPT, the generative artificial intelligence chatbot that can mimic human speech and perform a variety of tasks.
Security professionals have observed an increase in advanced AI-generated junk emails, creating challenges for individuals to distinguish between genuine offers and fraudulent schemes.
According to Michael Bordash, senior vice president of telecom company Syniverse, criminals are becoming increasingly skilled in their use of English. The tool ChatGPT is aiding them in creating messages, making it possible for non-native English speakers to have the program write campaigns for them.
CBS Reports on the ChatGPT Revolution at 22:38.
Battle of bots
Syniverse utilizes artificial intelligence to identify various types of fraudulent activities, such as scammers impersonating logistics companies and sending false shipping notifications to obtain sensitive financial details, as well as individuals selling fake products.
“It’s the battle of the bots. We employ similar tools to combat utilization and detect sources like this,” Bordash said.
According to experts, there has been an increase in logistics supply fraud during this time. Consumers may often receive fraudulent messages or alerts from scammers pretending to be shipping companies such as UPS and USPS. These messages falsely claim that a delayed package is waiting for the consumer and urge them to provide personal information.
Bordash explained that scammers use a tactic where they trick people into believing they need to visit a website and give personal information in order to receive a package. However, there is actually no package and the scammers are trying to obtain personal information, such as a home address and credit card details, in order to charge a fake expedition fee for delivery. This tactic is effective because people are often receiving gifts during this time.
Spotting fraud
You can identify these types of fraudulent schemes by checking for incorrect spellings and mismatched URLs. Be cautious of senders who attempt to induce a sense of urgency by stating phrases such as: “You must urgently authorize this shipment or it will be sent back to the sender.”
Bordash advised to pause and take a moment before responding to anything that requires immediate attention.
Fraudsters frequently make phony advertisements using photos of popular items from reputable companies on social media sites. These false bargains seem too good to be genuine and claim to have a limited time offer.
According to Sandro Okropiridze, a marketing expert and co-founder and CEO of branding app Stori, people often feel rushed to snag the best deals before they run out. However, scammers are taking advantage of this fear of missing out (FOMO) by creating fake ads that imitate well-known brands. These ads lead to fraudulent websites offering unbelievable deals, with the intention of pressuring consumers into making a quick purchase before they realize they are being scammed.
Scammers are taking advantage of people’s desire for discounts and increasing tendency to purchase items ranging from food to technology on the internet.
According to Saleem Alhabash, a professor of advertising and researcher at Michigan State University’s Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection, it is always beneficial to purchase directly from the original source rather than a third-party seller.
He suggested visiting the physical store location.
Megan Cerullo
Source: cbsnews.com