AI Phishing
Posted by matthew.brehm15
Every day scammers send billions of spam messages. Now these scammers have new tools that will make it even harder to catch them.
You may have heard the term “deepfake”. A deepfake is what is produced when someone uses AI to impersonate another person. This can be done via text, audio, or even video.
It doesn’t take much information to create a deepfake of a person. Most individuals who have a social media account post enough information publicly that such a deepfake could be created of them.
Scammers are using these deepfakes for many harmful purposes. Of course, they are also using them to send more and more real seaming messages for phishing purposes.
In one case, someone used a deepfake of a person’s daughter over a phone call in an attempt to trick the individual into paying a ransom.
So, what can we do?
The good news, using AI generated content for phone calls is now illegal in the US. However, that hasn’t stopped robo-calls or illegal scam operations in general. It also doesn’t address email or video.
It is important now, more than ever, to validate the sources of messages. Check-in with people and make sure the message comes from them. If something looks off (or a bit phishy!) it might not actually be from your coworker or your boss. Double check with them if you are concerned.
Staying vigilant about these changing threats will help keep you safe, the students we serve safe, and protect our whole community