5 min Reading time
Online scams are evolving, and artificial intelligence (AI) is providing fraudsters with new tools. Better-written messages, personalised content, the imitation of a voice or face, fake articles or highly realistic videos: some of the warning signs that once helped people identify fraud are becoming less obvious.
AI does not necessarily create new types of scams. Instead, it can make existing techniques more convincing, more personalised and easier to deploy on a large scale.
Spelling mistakes, poor translations and unusual wording have long been signs that helped identify certain phishing messages.
These clues are still useful, but they are no longer enough. Thanks to AI, it is now much easier to quickly generate natural, well-written texts in different languages and tailor them more closely to specific targets.
The principle of phishing, however, remains the same: pretending to be a trusted person or organisation to convince you to click on a link, share personal or banking information, or carry out an action.
A perfectly written message is therefore not necessarily a trustworthy one.
AI is not only capable of generating text. It can also be used to imitate or manipulate a voice, an image or a video.
These capabilities can strengthen a variety of fraud scenarios. For example, a fraudster may try to mimic the voice of a family member or friend to request money urgently. In a romance scam, manipulated images, voice recordings or videos can make a fake identity appear more credible.
In a professional context, AI can also be used in CEO fraud schemes: the voice or image of a company executive may be imitated to make an urgent payment or money transfer request appear more legitimate.
The key takeaway? Recognising a voice or a face is no longer always enough to confirm someone's identity.
Fraudsters can also use AI to give fake investment opportunities an appearance of legitimacy.
Fake news articles, fabricated interviews, advertisements featuring well-known personalities, manipulated videos or false testimonials can imitate the style and appearance of media outlets, companies or public figures that you trust.
If you come across an investment offer on social media or in an online advertisement, do not rely solely on how professional it looks. Always verify the information through trustworthy sources and check the identity of the company offering the investment.
AI may make some scams more sophisticated, but fraudsters continue to rely on familiar manipulation tactics: urgency, trust, emotion and the promise of an exceptional opportunity. Their goal is often to push you into acting quickly before you take the time to verify the situation.
A few simple habits therefore remain essential:
How can you recognise content generated or manipulated by AI? And do you have the right reflexes when confronted with the latest techniques used by fraudsters?
Test your knowledge with the DigiFacile modules on artificial intelligence (FR and NL) and learn how to identify scams and digital traps more effectively.