AI is increasingly used to create deep fake videos or images to sow confusion and manipulate people, including scam targets. Image: Thongden Studio/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffTraditional scams targeting retirees and other older persons are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence, raising the risk of those targeted becoming victims to financial losses and identity theft, says a report from the Senate Aging Committee.
The latest in the committee’s series of annual reports on scams says that AI “accelerates the effectiveness of pre-existing scams,” such as the “family emergency” or “grandparent” scam in which a caller pretends to be a family member in trouble such as an arrest and asks for money to be transferred. “Scammers can utilize voice cloning and deep fakes to impersonate a loved one who claims they are in danger and needs money immediately; this type of scam can be extremely convincing and elicit fear in the target,” it says.
Scammers need only a few seconds of a recording of a person’s real voice to create a cloned voice, which also may be used to impersonate authorities, it adds.
AI also is increasingly used to create deep fake videos or images to manipulate their targets, as well as in traditional “phishing” scams designed to trick victims into revealing personal information such as bank account or Social Security numbers.
“Using AI-powered algorithms, scammers can quickly personalize phishing emails, imitate sophisticated dialogue, and bypass traditional spam filters, making it harder for individuals to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent communications,” it says.
The report says the increasing sophistication makes it all the more important to follow self-protective steps such as not sharing personal information with an unknown contact; not transferring or sending money to unknown locations; being skeptical in general; and designating a family-only “safe word” to ask for if receiving a call or other message from someone claiming to be a family member in distress.
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