Tech
Researchers Warn: Deepfakes and Generative AI Amplifying Romance Scams in India
Researchers Warn: Deepfakes and Generative AI Amplifying Romance Scams in India
Cybersecurity experts reported on Monday that, as Valentine’s Day draws near, romance scams are becoming more common in India, where 66% of people have fallen victim to an online dating fraud. According to data from 2023, 43% of Indians fell prey to AI voice frauds, and 83% of those conned lost money. According to a recent analysis by exposure management company Tenable, romantic scams have experienced a frightening metamorphosis in the last few years, fusing sophisticated technologies like deepfakes and generative AI with more conventional approaches.
According to the data, “AI-generated deepfakes have become sophisticated enough that more than two-thirds (69%) of Indians say they cannot distinguish between AI and a person’s real voice.” These days, con artists use deepfake and generative AI to build more realistic personas in their romantic schemes.
“I fervently urge increased caution when forced to leave public forums and enter private chats, when the safeguards of the original website are lost. The word of caution applies whether generative AI or deepfakes are involved, according to Tenable staff research engineer Chris Boyd. Celebrity impersonations have grown in popularity, especially when they target older audiences.
The research stated that these scams frequently start on social media sites like Facebook and deceive their victims into thinking they are safe. The research also stated that scammers are increasingly preying on the elderly, particularly those who are widowed or have memory problems. This is a worrying trend.
Researchers advise that one should immediately raise red flags in response to solicitations for money from recently made relationships. They cautioned that it’s critical to examine images and movies that purposefully obfuscate background information, making online verification more difficult.
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“Our greatest defenses against these callous manipulations are awareness and vigilance, making sure that people looking for love don’t get sucked into the complex web of AI-enhanced deception,” Boyd stated.
