FBI sounds the alarm on rising ai‑fueled fraud schemes
The FBI warns against the dangerous use of artificial intelligence. AI is being used not only to facilitate work but also for fraud. It enables the creation of tools necessary for committing fraud with minimal effort.
The FBI is raising awareness about the increasing threat of scams that make use of artificial intelligence technology. According to Bitdefender, cybercriminals are increasingly turning to generative AI to create more credible and harder-to-detect scams.
Generative artificial intelligence, like OpenAI's GPT, allows criminals to quickly develop content that can be used for fraud. The FBI stresses that AI reduces the time and effort needed to deceive victims, making these actions more effective.
The use of generative AI enables the leveraging of human-developed tools to create something entirely new. Generative AI's potential also includes correcting and eliminating human errors, which often help in detecting scams.
The FBI warns against fraudsters
"Since it can be difficult to identify when content is AI-generated, the FBI is providing the following examples of how criminals may use generative AI in their fraud schemes to increase public recognition and scrutiny," states the FBI announcement.
Criminals use AI to create realistic profile pictures, identity documents, and sounds that can be employed to impersonate public figures. This builds trust with potential victims and makes it harder to detect cybercriminals.
How to protect yourself from fraudsters?
To identify content generated by cybercriminals, a thorough analysis should be conducted. Look for minor language errors or linguistic calques. When examining graphics, we can search for artifacts such as blurred parts of the image, missing or extra fingers, or unusual ear shapes.
Bitdefender recommends establishing a secret word that will act as a password when communicating with loved ones. This assists in verifying whether the person on the other side is genuinely a family member or an imposter. The company also advises using tools to detect fraud, such as Bitdefender Scamio.
The FBI emphasizes that while content generated by AI is not inherently illegal, it can be utilized for crimes like fraud and extortion. Therefore, it's important to be aware of these threats and take appropriate precautions.
