Dangerous Liaisons: Generative AI and ‘Creative’ Scammers
Human creativity still pays off … in a weird way …
Even before the generative AI tools became available to the public and took the world by storm, I was amazed by how technology is blurring the line between physical realities and realistic fakes. When I first heard the name, ‘Unreal Engine’, the well known 3D creation tool for photorealistic visuals, I found it quite amusing. It seemed to capture the great irony of our time perfectly. And now, we have Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. How real the unreal has become …
Plausible text, stunning visuals, and seemingly natural voice created from generative AI tools leave us mesmerized and scared at the same time, questioning whether creativity is no longer the sacred realm of human capability. Here’s another twist of irony: while artists may feel threatened and even powerless, ‘con artists’ feel empowered, seeing unlimited possibilities.
There’s a high chance that digital scammers will particularly thrive in the following three categories. So, let’s face the inconvenient truth.
Romance Scams: Tinder Swindlers are Evolving
Romance scams are nothing new in history. Even before the digital age, attractive con artists armed with fake identities would mesmerize their targets and financially exploit them. But with the rise of platforms like Tinder and Instagram, it's become even easier to fake an identity and amplify a swindler's allure to deceive a victim. In the early days of the digital age, the poor victim at least interacted with a real person, even though he or she wasn't who they initially believed them to be.
Now, everything can be faked. A con artist no longer has to be charming or physically attractive. You can create an entirely new character with every appealing feature imaginable. This faux lover comes equipped not only with stunning appearances and a sweet voice but also wit and gentle manners in (online) conversations. Your seemingly dream partner possesses all the qualities you've longed for, and you truly enjoy interacting with him or her. Everything is perfect except that you never encounter them in person ...
Online romance scammers may have a new wingman — artificial intelligence | CBC News
Is your valentine a chatbot? Experts urge caution amid rising AI scams | Globalnews.ca
7 Ways Cybercriminals Use AI for Romance Scams | makeuseof.com
In the early stages, it was often lonely and older individuals who fell victim to such scams. However, younger generations are becoming targets too, as they grow increasingly accustomed to digital interaction and less comfortable with real-world encounters.
Obvsiously, this is a crime. Yet, in the near future, I suspect dating services featuring AI-created virtual people as love interests or partners will emerge as a lucrative business category. (AI chatbot companions are already in service. What an era …) And it will always dwell in the grey area between legal and illegal realms.
Faux Mall Fiasco: Shopping for Non-Existent Goods
Scams in the e-commerce sector have not been rare at all, and it comes as no surprise that the advent of generative AI will fuel them.
It’s now become much easier to set up a fake website that mimics real luxury brand websites, and it doesn’t end there. With generative AI tools, fraudsters can even create fake customer testimonials and social media posts, disarming their potential victims with ease. The AI technology enables chatbots to engage in realistic conversations and lure customers into buying fake products or services, or revealing sensitive data.
In a nutshell, scammers are now capable of designing ‘an entire universe’ for their elaborate scheme.
Fake websites are the latest tool in a wave of online shopping scams | ABC News
Job Scams: Cashing in on the WFA Trend
I personally think that job scams are the most malicious ones as they take advantage of those who are the most desperate.
In terms of methodology, scammers can use various technological tricks, ranging from ‘classic’ phishing, where victims are lured to click on malicious links or attachments in convincing emails seemingly from reputable companies that can steal their data or infect their devices, to the relatively recent voice cloning or simulating techniques used to call potential victims to offer them fake jobs while asking personal or financial information.
However, the most intriguing job scammer in history, as far as I know, Ali Ayad, the charismatic culprit of the MadBird scandal, didn’t directly exploit his victims. (Well … he never paid the employees of his fake company, but didn’t take any money from them at least, which still remains a mystery.)
The MadBird scandal was a job scam that tricked dozens of people into working for a fake design agency during the COVID pandemic. (Yes, it happened even before this generative AI era.) According to BBC News, the company named MadBird advertised itself as a ‘human-centred digital design agency born in London’, hired people through online interviews and contracts, and used their work for other purposes without paying them. The BBC investigation revealed that much of MadBird’s existence was faked, including its website, social media accounts, and client testimonials.
The current situation of the investigation is unclear, to my knowledge.
This scam is particularly fascinating, probably because the scammer’s motivation is not very clear. My guess is that the psychology behind his scheme is something quite similar to that of a leader of a cult following, who eventually comes to believe in himself as a god-like figure even though he initially started it as a fraud for financial reasons.
Lastly, let me share the following warning message from the U.S. FTC. I love the witty first paragraph of this official blog post that mentions the famous ‘simulation theory, the notion that nothing is real and we’re all part of a giant computer program’.
Chatbots, deepfakes, and voice clones: AI deception for sale | Federal Trade Commission
It’s all up to us, whether this generative AI era is the iPhone moment or the Oppenheimer moment of AI.
The Oppenheimer moment