Generative AI is Being Used For Fraud! What Now?

Imagine it’s 1 am on a Saturday & you get a voice note after a few text messages from an unknown number that appears to be your kid.  He just got mugged on the way to the dorm from the club and said this:

“Mom, I’m on my way to the pharmacy they took my phone and wallet, could you send me a few hundred bucks real quick?”

& sends you a Cashapp or Venmo link.

More often than not, many parents would send that money in a heartbeat before realizing they had just become victims of Generative AI fraud.

So, What Can You Do?

Use Your Judgment

First of all not taking action right on the spot without adequate proof is a no-no! If you get texts or voice notes, heck even videos from unknown contacts, always question it with a pinch of salt.

Nobody just calls you at random in an emergency, sends you a payment link and disappears. If you are certain that this is a real emergency, call the number back & ask questions only they’d know.

Not their birthday or the school they went to. Chances are if the fraudster was able to create his voice and images, they already know those details too.

Develop Tools to Defend Against Generative AI Fraud

The use of Generative AI has given scammers and fraudsters a supercharged spear. They can automate mass attacks, collect data, and target potential victims at scale. Currently, there isn’t much we can do against these frauds.

The only possible solution to this is to use sophisticated AI platforms that could be embedded into our existing systems to combat these frauds.

Don’t Overshare On Social platforms

We are living in hyper-connected time. Anything you share on social media platforms or publicly state can be used to train AI models that can imitate you as a digital persona.

It’s more than enough to trick people in your social circle. Try to set your privacy measures to the highest possible levels on social platforms.

Conclusion

Generative AI poses a huge threat when it comes to fraud, and it is essential to take precautions to protect ourselves. Use your judgment, minimize your digital footprint, and maintain high privacy settings on social media platforms to safeguard your personal information from being used for malicious purposes.

Mohaiminul Sharif