AI use intensifying scams: Netsafe

Otago Daily Times

9 hours ago

Artificial intelligence (AI) is enabling fraudsters to devise ever-slicker romance scams, Netsafe says.
The online safety agency recently presented updated resources as part of its Get Set Up for Safety programme, aimed at protecting older people from an upswing in sophisticated digital cons.
Business development manager Sarah Bramhall said scammers might spend weeks or months building online relationships before seeking money.
"Scammers most often use the techniques or the emotions of trust, fear and hope, usually in a combination.
"So they will tap into human emotions."
Exploiting lonely or companionship-seeking victims, scammers try to stop them sharing information with friends or family.
"They will try to keep them isolated so that they don't tell anyone, because obviously otherwise friends and family will pick up on something happening."
At some point the scammer will begin requesting money, sometimes large amounts or gradually increasing amounts.
These requests could be couched in ways that played on people's natural desire to be kind or helpful.
"Usually it presents itself in something like a medical requirement, they need to travel, they have got family that are sick.
"Those sorts of things that really play on emotions."
Kind-hearted people who felt they had developed a bond would feel like they wanted to help that person out.
"Most of the time, people really don't recognise that they are being scammed in those scenarios.
"It is really quite hard for even support workers and family to get them to come to that realisation because they suffer heartbreak, essentially."
Generative AI tools were enabling scammers to polish their English, generate fake images or create believable back-stories.
Poor grammar or language used to be a red flag that it was a scam message.
"That is getting harder to pick up on now," she said.
While there were many ways AI was opening up useful and beneficial possibilities, it was important to be mindful of some of the drawbacks of AI, in particular large language models such as ChatGPT, which could create "hallucinations" that could seem plausible but were falsehoods.
"I just say 'sometimes AI can lie'."
Netsafe has refreshed its portfolio of resources that can help organisations and individuals navigate the online digital realm safely.
The material tackles challenges such as spotting scams, safer online dating, privacy settings, securing accounts and verifying requests for personal information.
Get Set Up for Safety offers a wide range of resources, including checklists, fact sheets, videos and interactive activities.
• To find out more, visit netsafe.org.nz/older-people
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