Artificial Intelligence Makes It Easier for Fraudsters to Go Unnoticed. The days of poorly worded messages that were easily recognizable as fraud attempts are over. Thanks to advanced AI tools, fraudsters are now better writers and more convincing conversationalists, capable of engaging in genuine conversations without being unmasked as bots.

KI als Werkzeug für Betrüger

Tools like ChatGPT even enable criminals to impersonate voices and identities. In recent years, fraudsters have used AI-based software to pose as executives and request transfers. “Your intuition alone will no longer suffice to avoid falling victim to fraud,” warns Matt O’Neill, former Secret Service agent and co-founder of the cybersecurity company 5OH Consulting.

Anpassung an die neuen Bedrohungen

Fraud attempts often resemble old tricks, but through AI, fraudsters can target larger groups and use more precise information to convince their victims. According to fraud prevention authorities, these new tactics are harder to detect because they bypass traditional indicators like malicious links and poor grammar. Nowadays, criminals forge IDs and use computer-generated faces to pass identity checks.

JPMorgan Chase uses large language models to combat identity fraud. Carisma Ramsey Fields, Vice President of External Communications at JPMorgan Chase, emphasizes the bank's increased efforts to educate customers about fraud risks.

Rekordverluste durch Betrug

The impact of these new fraud schemes is significant. In 2023, people reported record losses of $10 billion due to fraud, up from $9 billion the previous year, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Since only about 5% of fraud victims report their losses, the actual total could be closer to $200 billion.

Beispiele für moderne Betrugsfälle

Joey Rosati, owner of a small cryptocurrency company, nearly fell victim to a scam when a fraudster posed as a police officer and demanded a transfer of $4,500. It was only on the way to the supposed police station that Rosati recognized the fraud.

David Wenyu received a fake job offer email from a legitimate company and was supposed to purchase equipment before the money was deposited into his account. Only when he was asked to pay in advance did he realize the scam.

Maßnahmen zur Betrugsprävention

Fraud management experts at banks and financial institutions emphasize that criminals are now using AI more skillfully for financial crimes than the banks are for prevention. Financial institutions are adopting new measures and deploying AI themselves to protect money and data. They monitor login behavior, use two-factor authentication, and detect suspicious activity based on typing habits or IP addresses.

If it is a transaction that could harm you, validate it," advises O'Neill.

Fazit

In a time when AI fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated, it is crucial to remain vigilant and take a moment to pause in the face of suspicious activities. Scammers often use false urgency or confusion to manipulate their victims. If in doubt, a second opinion should always be sought to minimize the risk of fraud.