By Nelly Mulleneaux and Shaila Rana
Some scammers use AI-generated video clips that depict the loved one in apparent agony together with voice deepfakes. These fictitious emergency situations frequently include requests for quick payment of hospital costs, bail, or ransom. To give the swindle more legitimacy, the con artist may also employ AI to pose as authorities such as physicians, police officers, and attorneys.
Even cautious people can be taken by surprise and end up making snap decisions since the voice seems real and the emotional manipulation is powerful.
How to keep oneself safe
It takes a multifaceted defense approach to keep scammers at bay.
When buying, make sure the stores are legitimate by visiting their official websites, carefully checking the URL (it should begin with HTTPS), and paying great attention to the layout and content of the page. Examining the Contact Us area can be a smart idea because phony websites frequently offer phony contact details. Check the company’s actual address and cross-reference it on reliable review sites before making purchases from unknown websites.
All of your software, including your operating system, browser, apps, and antivirus program, must be kept up to date. Security fixes that address flaws that hackers could exploit are frequently included in updates.
Visit the official website of your device’s maker or resources like StaySafeOnline for additional details on the significance of software updates and how to handle them. Maintaining a safe online shopping experience requires regular upgrades.
Be sure to just include the information required for purchases. Keep in mind that nobody can sell you a sweater without knowing your Social Security number. Additionally, monitoring your bank statements will assist you in identifying any fraudulent activity early on. This is the reality of our modern age, even though it might feel like just another chore.
Create family verification codes, a safe word, or security questions that only actual family members would know to guard against family emergency scams. Remain composed and take some time to confirm the situation by calling family members directly using well-known and reliable phone lines if you do receive a frantic call from a loved one. Inform your family members about these frauds and urge them to never send money without first verifying the situation through authorized means or with other family members or authorities.
Time is of the essence if you find out that your identity has been stolen. Contacting your banks and credit card providers right away, setting up a fraud alert with the credit bureaus, and filing a report with the Federal Trade Commission and your local police should be your first actions.
You’ll need to evaluate your credit reports, change all of your passwords, think about putting your credit on hold, and keep track of everything in the days that follow. Even while this procedure might be very difficult and intimidating, if you act quickly, the damage can be greatly reduced.
It’s critical to keep up with AI fraud strategies by using reliable cybersecurity resources. Not only does reporting suspected frauds to the appropriate authorities protect you, but it also helps protect others. One important lesson is that protecting against these risks requires constant vigilance.
Communities may fight back against digital threats by being aware. More significantly, it’s critical to recognize that scams nowadays differ from those of the past.
During this Christmas season, being aware of the warning indications of frauds can strengthen protection. Additionally, remember to share your growing threat identification skills with your loved ones.
Who knows? You might prevent someone from falling victim.
Shaila Rana is a Purdue University professor of information technology.Nelly Mulleneaux is a professor at Purdue University’s School of Business and Information Technology.
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