Businesses and organizations are increasingly using artificial intelligence when communicating with their customers. But scammers, too, are using AI – to
deceive consumers.
Legitimate customer service departments use AI chatbots to increase the efficiency of communication with customers in real time. Scammers, in turn, create fake chatbots to ask customers for payment information and personal identifiable information. These fake chatbots direct users to a fake website.
To protect yourself while interacting with a chatbot, be sure to:
- Verify the source. If you encounter the chatbot as a pop-up while not visiting that company’s website, do not click on the chatbot. Visit the company’s official website to interact with its chatbot.
- Take your time. Scammers use a sense of urgency to force victims into a quick decision. Don’t let yourself be rushed.
- Keep your personal information private. Legitimate company chatbots will never ask for account passwords or Social Security numbers over chat.
Phishing emails are correspondence that look as if they’re from a legitimate company, with some even including the company’s logo and links to their website that prove to be fraudulent. Phishing emails are not new, but the use of AI technology has improved the quality of these scam emails.
When you receive a suspicious email be sure to check:
- Email addresses. Hover above the sender’s email address with your cursor. If the email address differs from what you know or would imagine to be a legitimate email address, it may be a phishing attempt. Find an email address for the company you know to be legitimate – on a past bill or the company’s official website.
- Links. Avoid clicking on links in the body of an email; doing so may direct you to a website designed to steal your money or personal information.
- Attachments. Do not click on any attachments before verifying that the email sender is legitimate. Attachments may contain malware designed to harm your device.
Misinformation campaigns use AI technology in the form of fake videos and audio campaigns to impersonate a family member, business or celebrity. For example, you might receive a phone call from someone who sounds like a relative or see a video post of a celebrity on social media. The key to identifying these scams is to evaluate what you’re seeing or hearing and deciding whether the message from that person is reasonable.
Here are some techniques to do that:
- Use verification methods. One step may be to use a “password” for family members to request money in an emergency.
- Take a close look. When viewing an online video, check for imperfections and glitches.
- Check facts. If the request or promotion comes from a business or celebrity, do a quick internet search to see whether the business or celebrity is really associated with that product or promotion.
AI-generated scams use elements of traditional scams with improved application. If you think you have interacted with any of the above scam techniques:
- Check your credit report for any unknown accounts.
- Communicate with your financial institutions regarding potential fraud.
- Change any account passwords associated with the account where the correspondence was received.
Consumers who suspect a scam or an unfair business practice should contact the Attorney General's Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.