“Mom, that’s me! I’m in an accident and I need money right away!”
The phone voice sounds exactly like your child, but it’s actually an artificial intelligence clone created from a 3-second clip of his voice on Facebook. Welcome to the terrifying new world of AI-powered scams. Generating Artificial Intelligence (Genai) handed the scammers a powerful new toolkit that looks amateur when comparing yesterday’s email scam.
The sophisticated fraud techniques that are emerging today are virtually irrelevant for untrained eyes or ears. And the economic impact is incredible. Since 2020, there have been phishing and fraud activities Increased by 94%showing millions of new scam pages each month. Even more surprising, experts estimate losses from AI-powered scams It reaches 40 billion dollars In the US by 2027.
A man typing on a laptop. (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
What is Generation AI and why should you care?
Generated AI refers to so-called artificial intelligence systems that create new content, such as text, images, audio, or video, based on the data being trained. Unlike traditional AI, which analyzes existing information, the generated AI generates entirely new and compelling content. Is this the most concerning part? These powerful tools are becoming more and more accessible to scammers who use them to create sophisticated scams that are more difficult to detect than ever before.
Woman working on a laptop. (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
Best antivirus for Mac, PC, iPhone and Android – Cyber Gupic
How con artists are weaponized
Today’s scammers use generative AI to enable a whole new type of fraud while “supercharge” existing techniques. Dave Schroder,UW -Madison National Security Research Strategist. Here are four of the most dangerous ways they use this technology.
Voice Cloning: 3-second threat
Scammers can use AI to create compelling replicas of their voices with 3 seconds of audio that can be easily retrieved from social media, voicemail, or video. “Imagine a situation where “family” calls from what appears to be a phone number and gets invited,” explains Schroeder. “The victims of these scams say they are confident that it is the voice of their families.”
Using these AI-generated voice clones, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent calls by manipulating your loved one, colleague, or financial institution to transfer money or sharing sensitive information.
Fake Identification Document
Today’s AI tools can use images generated by AI to generate compelling fake identification documents. Criminals use these to verify their identity when they unauthorizedly open accounts or take over existing accounts. These AI-generated fake IDs are increasingly sophisticated, including realistic holograms and barcodes that can bypass traditional security checks and deceive automated verification systems.
Deepfake selfie
Many financial institutions use selfies to verify their customer. However, scammers can take images from social media to create deepfakes that bypass these security measures. The deepfakes generated by these AIs are not limited to still images. It can also create realistic videos that can deceive activity detection checks during the facial recognition process, pose a major threat to biometric systems.
Ultra-personalized fishing
Similarly, Genai is now perfectly written and highly personalized Phishing email Analyze your online presence and create messages that are tailored specifically to your interests and personal information. These AI-enhanced phishing attempts can incorporate sophisticated chatbots and improved grammar, making them much more persuasive and difficult to detect than before Phishing scam.
Man working on a laptop. (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
How to protect your data from IRS scammers this tax season
Why you might become a major target
Everyone is at risk from these sophisticated AI scams, but certain factors can make you a more attractive target for scammers. People with significant retirement savings or investments naturally represent more valuable goals. The more assets you have, the more attention it will attract from criminals looking for a bigger reward. Many older people are particularly vulnerable because they are not growing with today’s technology and are not very familiar with AI capabilities. This knowledge gap makes it difficult to recognize that AI is being used maliciously. What exacerbates this risk is a massive digital footprint. If you are active on social media or have a big online presence, we provide scammers with the ingredients you need to create persuasive deepfakes and highly personalized scams specifically designed to exploit your trust.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Woman working on a laptop. (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
The FBI warns you about dangerous new “smashing” scams targeting your phone
How to protect yourself in the age of AI
Protection against AI-powered threats requires a multi-layered approach that goes far beyond digital measures. Recognition is your first line of defense. Understanding how these scams work will help you find the red flag before becoming a victim. This recognition should be combined with both digital safeguards and “analog” verification systems that exist entirely offline. Here are some important steps to protect yourself:
1. Invest in personal data removal services: Generator AI fundamentally needs personal data to create persuasive scams. Therefore, limiting your online footprint is of paramount importance in today’s scam situation. The less information about you published, the less ingredients the scammers have to work with. Going completely off-grid is unrealistic for most of us today. However, you can use personal data deletion services like Incogni to significantly reduce your online footprint and significantly reduce the number of exposed scams to AI-powered scams.
Deleting personal data from data broker companies not only protects you from scams with genai, but also offers many other privacy benefits, such as receiving spam, reducing the risk of victims of identity theft, and helping to prevent stalking and harassment. As AI technology advances, Gen-AI scams become more refined. Although there is no service that promises to delete all data from the internet, deleting a deletion service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of continuously deleting information from hundreds of sites over a long period of time. Please see the top picks for data deletion services.
Click here to get your Fox business on the go
2. Establish your own verification protocol. Consider agreeing to “safe words” that only your family knows. If you receive an unexpected call from a distressed relative, ask this word before taking action.
3. Choose a strong and unique password for each account. Create complex passwords using combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Don’t use easy-to-guess information such as birthdays or common words. Consider using Password Manager Generate and store complex passwords. Password Manager can generate and store strong, unique passwords for all accounts, reducing the risk of password reuse and making it easier to maintain proper password hygiene. Get my details Find the best expert reviewed password managers of 2025 here.
4. Enable 2-factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts. 2FA Add an additional layer of security by requesting validation of the second form, including the code sent to the phone, in addition to the password.
5. If possible, receive the MFA code through the phone’s Authenticator app, not email. Using Authenticator app It’s safer than receiving codes via email, like Microsoft Authenticator and Google Authenticator. The Authenticator app generates time-based one-time passcodes (TOTPs) that are not sent via email or SMS, reducing the risk of hacker intercepting. Additionally, Authenticator apps often support biometrics and push notifications, making the verification process safe and convenient.
6. Use powerful antivirus software. The latest cybersecurity threats are evolving rapidly, with AI being used to create more persuasive phishing attacks, deep ferk fraud and malware. Investing in powerful antivirus software can help you identify and block suspicious activity. The best way to protect yourself from malicious links to install malware is to install powerful antivirus software on all your devices, as it may access your personal information. This protection can also warn you that it will phish email and ransomware scams and keep your personal information and digital assets safe. Get the best 2025 Antivirus Protection Winners picks for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
7. Trust and confirm your intuition: If something feels “off,” trust your instincts as if you noticed the unusual phrases and strange background noise. Don’t let the scammers create a false sense of urgency. If you receive a communication that claims to be from a financial institution, please call the institution directly using its official number from its website.
8. Monitor your account: Please check your account statements regularly for suspicious transactions. If you suspect your data has been compromised, don’t hesitate to request a credit freeze.
Important takeouts in your cart
So is this a bit scary? absolutely. But the good news is that you are now armed with knowledge to fight back. Be vigilant and take those safeguards I have said seriously, and remember that a bit of a healthy skepticism will go a long way in this new era of AI scams. Make it even more difficult for these AI-powered scams to succeed.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Do you think tech companies are doing enough to protect us from AI-powered scams and scams? Write us and let us know cyberguy.com/contact
For more information about my tech tips and security alerts, sign up for our free Cyberguy Report Newsletter cyberguy.com/newsletter
Please ask your cart or tell us what stories you would like us to cover.
Follow your cart on his social channels:
Answers to the most accused Cyber Guy questions:
New from Cart:
Copyright 2025 cyberguy.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
