Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that is being increasingly utilised for nefarious purposes, including scams. This increases not only the scale and reach, but also the sophistication.
Gone are the days of poorly made scams, filled with errors and dated images.
We’re now facing the dark side of technological development; fraudulent websites, ads, emails, phone calls, and profiles that are more convincing than ever.
The abilities of generative AI to create images and text is making it quite difficult to determine what’s real and what isn’t. Even more disturbing is the development of AI in audio and video, creating realistic phone calls and promotional ads that sound and look like the individual they are imitating. This can include using trusted public figures to endorse a false company, or something far more personalised like the voice of a loved one seemingly in distress and needing financial assistance.
The normal information you would normally be able to check isn’t quite as obvious anymore, such as social media interactions, links, or email addresses.
More in-depth scrutiny will start to become necessary to determine what to believe – can you spot the signs?
Things to keep an eye out for:
- Unexpected contact
- Requests to provide login details
- High pressure scenarios where you’re rushed to act right away
- Overly formal language
- Inconsistencies or odd qualities of text, audio, or visual content
- Requests for money or other financially valuable products (e.g. gift cards)
Some tips to help check legitimacy:
- Contact the organisation or person they claim to be via a known trusted method (e.g. their phone number you already have saved in your phone)
- Utilise reverse-image search to determine if images are tied to a known threat actor
- Confirm business registrations via Google or ASIC lookup
- Establish a password with your friends and family for emergencies to combat fake voice scams
How to deal with spam:
- If you suspect something to be a scam, don’t engage! Simply delete, or if you’re concerned, contact Quo Group for our technicians to confirm
- Education is key! Ask us about our Cyber Aware platform where you and your co-workers can learn to spot the signs and how to deal with scams
Report
- If you suspect you might have already fallen victim, immediately report it and update your passwords to something unique and secure – passphrases are a great idea!
- You can report cybercrime incidents to the Australian Signals Directorate or,
- You can report to ScamWatch
