New Year, new threats: The rise of Ai-enabled scams in 2024

Scams, a deceptive practice as old as humanity, have consistently evolved and adapted to changing technologies and human vulnerabilities. What began with con artists peddling snake oil on dusty roads has taken on a new digital dimension, with cybercriminals wielding increasingly sophisticated tools to trick their victims. As we step into 2024, we at Scam Watch Pilipinas see a new frontier in scamming: the weaponization of Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to Jocel de Guzman, co-lead convenor of Scam Watch Pilipinas, Ai-enabled scams are expected to rise in 2024, posing a serious threat to individuals and organizations.

For years, cybercriminals have used basic methods to scam people, like scare tactics and pretending to be legitimate organizations and even relatives or friends. But AI is changing the game. We're seeing the emergence of personalized, dynamic scams that can mimic human interaction and exploit psychological biases with frightening accuracy.

Here are the ways AI could fuel sophisticated phishing scams in 2024:

1. Deepfake videos and voicemails: Imagine receiving a video call from your bank manager, their voice and likeness perfectly replicated by AI, urging you to transfer money due to a "critical account issue." Scammers could use deepfakes to impersonate anyone, weaving elaborate narratives to extract sensitive information or convince victims to make transactions. While there are very few reported cases of this, expect this to increase more in the coming years as AI continues to improve.

2. Hyper-personalized emails and texts: AI can analyze social media posts and online transactions to build detailed profiles of individuals. This information can then be used to craft highly personalized phishing emails and texts, mentioning specific interests, purchases, or even recent life events to instill a sense of trust and urgency.

3. Conversational AI bots: Forget robotic, pre-programmed chatbots. Scammers could deploy Ai-powered bots that engage in natural conversations, answer questions, adapt to responses, and even subtly manipulate victims' emotions to extract crucial data or convince them of a fabricated scenario.

4. Dynamically-generated fake websites: AI can create and tailor fake websites in real time, mirroring the look and feel of legitimate institutions like banks or government agencies. This makes it harder for users to spot inconsistencies and increases the likelihood of falling for well-designed hoaxes.

5. Social engineering at scale: AI can analyze large datasets of human behavior to identify common vulnerabilities and predict victim responses. This knowledge can be used to craft massscale phishing campaigns targeting specific demographics or exploiting current events and trends to maximize success.

6. Credential stuffing: AI can be used to automate the process of trying different combinations of usernames and passwords to access online accounts. Scammers can use AI to exploit the data breaches that expose millions of credentials and attempt to break into various websites and services, such as email, social media, and online banking

While the prospect of Ai-powered scams may seem daunting, it's crucial to remember that awareness is the first line of defense. Staying vigilant, verifying information through official channels, and adopting cyber security best practices like strong passwords and two-factor authentication can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim. As technology evolves, so too must our awareness and defenses against emerging threats. By staying informed and exercising caution, we can navigate the increasingly complex landscape of digital scams and protect ourselves from becoming the next target.

Scam Watch Pilipinas recommends that the public be vigilant and cautious when dealing with online content and communications. Users must also use strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, antivirus software, and encryption to protect against Aienabled scams.

Be safe, everyone, and happy new year!

Scam Watch Pilipinas recommends that the public be vigilant and cautious when dealing with online content and communications.

(Art Samaniego, Jr. is the head of Manila Bulletin IT Department and is the editor of Technews.)