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Artificial intelligence has made everyday life more convenient. You may use it to help touch up photos to share on social media, compose better emails at work, or even pass the time.

On the other hand, AI has become a powerful tool that enables scammers to expand their capabilities. As a result, there has been a rise in fake videos, voice clips, and messages, making it even easier to fall for thieves’ tricks.

By understanding how AI scams work, you will gain the knowledge and tools to protect your finances and personal information. Let’s go over AI-powered scams and how to avoid them.

What Are AI Scams?

AI scams use artificial intelligence to impersonate real people, automate fraud attempts, or create highly believable fake content. These scams often exploit people’s trust and instill a sense of urgency to persuade others to perform a specific action.

Technological advances have made AI scams more difficult to spot. The videos, voice clips, and images that artificial intelligence can generate appear more believable compared to previous years.

On top of that, AI-assisted word processing has made it easier to create error-free messages that can successfully emulate the writing styles of people, businesses, and organizations you may know.

Altogether, AI scams may be harder to recognize than traditional fraud. That’s why it’s important to be familiar with common scam tactics so that you can identify any fakes confidently.

Voice Cloning Scams: Sound Familiar?

One of the fastest-growing threats is voice cloning. Scammers use short audio clips, often pulled from social media or video hosting sites, to create someone’s voice.

After a scammer takes a voice sample, they can use what their AI software generates to mimic a person’s speech. They use this new voice to impersonate others.

Scams using voice cloning follow a similar pattern:

• The recipient gets a phone call from someone claiming to be a friend, spouse, family member, or coworker
• The caller claims something happened to them (a car accident, an arrest, or other trouble)
• The caller then requests money via wire transfer, a payment app, or gift cards

These types of calls exploit your wish to help someone in need. A scammer initiating a voice-cloned call may sound nervous or desperate to instill a sense of urgency or elicit an emotional response, causing someone to act quickly.

How do you identify and avoid a voice cloning scam? You have several options.

First, trust your instincts. Be familiar with how your acquaintances and inner circle contact you. If the phone call sounds out of the ordinary, then you have cause to be suspicious.

Next, you can hang up and call the person directly. Don’t use your phone’s callback feature, as scammers can spoof phone numbers to bypass caller ID. Contact the person they claim to be and verify their requests.

You can also ask the caller a question that only you and the person they claim to be can answer, such as a favorite color or band. Some families establish a “safety password” that only members use with each other. If the caller doesn’t know, then you know you’re dealing with a scammer.

Deepfake Video: Almost Too Good To Be True

Deepfake technology allows scammers to make realistic videos of people saying or doing things they never actually did. Deepfakes thrive in places where short-form video content reigns supreme, like social media feeds. They may also be used in apps that support video calls and messaging.

Deepfake videos may impersonate executives, public figures, or even people you may know. These videos may be used to authorize fraudulent transactions or spread misinformation. Another common use of deepfakes on social media is to promote products of questionable quality or dubious investment opportunities.

Videos and photos using deepfake technology can be hard to identify at first glance. However, you can still determine a scam is brewing if you know some common warning signs of a deepfake:

• Inconsistent lighting
• Slightly unnatural facial movements or lip syncing
• Poor synchronization between the audio and video
• Misplaced shadows and reflections
• Inconsistencies across the clip (like the subject’s shirt color or background changing)

When viewing videos on social media, try to verify the source. For example, if the video features a celebrity making an announcement or promoting a product, make sure it’s posted by a verified account, either from their official social media or the brand they are promoting. Try to cross-reference the video by searching for a related news article or press release from a trusted source.

Deepfake videos may also include calls to action to purchase a product or to enter personal information. If a video contains a link, be sure to verify the website’s authenticity and its security certificate. When in doubt, never submit personal information, payment information, or login credentials to any suspicious sites.

AI-Generated Phishing Uses Convincing, Believable Messages

AI tools can now generate highly personalized emails and text messages that mimic legitimate organizations, including financial institutions.

Phishing messages can be sent over a variety of channels, such as:

• SMS or text messaging
• Direct messages from social media
• Email messages

While you may still come across run-of-the-mill phishing messages with bad grammar and spelling, the reality is that scammers are turning to AI technology to craft believable (and readable) messages. Therefore, it’s crucial to be familiar with the fundamentals of scam prevention.

Representatives of legitimate businesses and organizations never message anyone to request private information, payment details, or login credentials. This is a common industry practice, especially amongst financial institutions. Knowing this, you can filter a vast majority of phishing attempts if any communication asks for this kind of information.

Also, be on the lookout for links or file attachments in messages. Phishing attempts often include links to suspicious websites that closely mimic the look and feel of an established organization's site. Always take a moment to verify the URL, security certificate, and context of why you are being directed to a website.

Here are some of the common signs of phishing scams:

• Messages inciting a sense of urgency
• The inclusion of links or file attachments
• Requests for account information and login credentials
• Threats of legal action or some other unwanted outcome (account closure, penalty fees, etc.)

Be Smarter Than AI

By exercising healthy skepticism and taking the time to assess what you see, you can easily avoid AI-powered scams.

Scammers will always try to urge you into action, and haste only helps them. Remember to always take your time when reviewing messages or requests over the phone, via email, or while scrolling social media.

When receiving a suspicious message, phone call, or email, always verify the source and the sender’s legitimacy:

• Be familiar with how friends, family, and other businesses normally contact you
• Verify senders with a number or email you know — never use your phone’s callback feature or your email’s “Reply” button.
• Instead of clicking links in messages, visit the website using a URL you know
• Never share your private information, payment details, or login credentials with anyone

When in doubt, slow down, verify, and trust your instincts.

First Florida empowers you with the knowledge you need to protect your financial information. Visit our Scam and Fraud Education page to stay updated on the latest scam alerts.