The internet is becoming a frightening place. With digital innovations such as Ai completely transforming the way we view the world, people with malicious intent have now utilised these new technological advances to target victims for their scamming practices. Fake Ai advertisements are prominent on the internet in recent months, with favourite celebrities popping up, seemingly encouraging users to invest in their successful schemes, to a phishing tool to steal consumers’ information, and even take large sums of money from businesses using the sensitive information they share.
Deep fakes have been used for entertainment purposes more commonly, but unfortunately now in the hands of the wrong people, millions of pounds are being stolen from unsuspecting victims due to these investment fraud schemes. Heading down a dark path, consumers need to stay aware of the recent scams that are circulating. Using Ai as a vessel, forex trading scams and other prominent schemes are being spread fast across the internet, and we need to do everything we can to be cautious of them.
The Risks Associated With Ai
Ai has been used for amazing things up to now, and it is only going to get smarter. The reliance that we have on technology has led to this innovation. However, with great knowledge comes great power, and Ai’s new ability to generate fake imagery and videos of everyday people can lead to misuse of their image, name, and reputation. We have seen the likes of Elon Musk and other business experts being used within deep fake schemes, asking people to invest sums of money into fake cryptocurrency and stocks, promising guaranteed high returns. With an already established reputation, it is no surprise that many users have jumped onto their recommendations, only to find they are scams.
What Are They Promoting?
From forex scams to stocks to non-existent products, fake Ai advertisements are clever and know exactly what you are looking for. Using the helpful tools that ads offer within their targeting, they use the existing data provided to target users based on their likes, interests, and also online activity across different platforms. Users that allow their applications to access their data, will expect to see any possible fake Ai ads targeting them based on their interests. For example, if you watch cryptocurrency news across social media, you might come across fake Ai advertisements of Elon Musk promoting a new currency that everyone should be invited into. With his face, voice and movements, the ability to make the video look legitimate is frightening.
Steps To Take If You Come Across One
If you are unfortunate enough to be targeted by these scammers using online advertisements, there are some steps to take to protect yourself and your data. Take a look at the following suggestions:
Report The Ad
First things first, as soon as you come across the ad you need to report it. The reason why you can see the ad is that the platform you have used has carelessly allowed the ad to be promoted to users. Flagging it from your end will encourage people who work for the platform to review the content, and check for malicious use of content. Doing this should get the ad removed and whoever made the ad’s account suspended. You will be saving yourself and other users from falling victim to this ad, should someone more impressionable come across it and be at risk of sharing their data.
Never Click On Links Associated
Links associated with shared fake Ai ads should never be clicked on. This will put your device at risk of being hacked, and having malicious malware downloaded onto it. Suspicious links don’t always look suspicious; they might look legitimate and from a provider that you trust. You can check links using a safe link checker tool on Google, however, it is best to report the ad and avoid clicking anything that is associated with the ad altogether.
Never Send Personal Information To Fake Profiles
Fake Ai ads also can encourage you to send information to them. It might not be an initial attack on your data, but sending information such as your email and your phone number can put you at risk of future attacks when you least suspect it. Never share personal information such as financial details, your address, or phone number, or anything that can be used against you or to gain access to sensitive content.
Turn Off Your User Tracking
If you want to avoid specific ad targeting for subjects that you might fall for from fake Ai celebrity advertisements, you might also consider turning off your user tracking. User tracking is the technology that all websites use to gauge what your likes and interests are, and with that categorise your information for ideal advertisement opportunities. You can turn off the app’s ability to track your data by turning your setting to “ask app not to track”. You still will be susceptible to dangerous and legitimate ads, but the scamming websites will not be able to trick you with specific targeting and therefore you will be at less risk of unknowingly falling for one of the advertisements.
Warn Vulnerable Friends and Family
Everyone is on the internet these days, even some of the most vulnerable people amongst us. You should be taking action to warn family and friends of the circulating ‘deep fake ai advertisements’, and tell them to use the internet with caution. This can be as simple as sharing new articles with them, and also telling them to not engage with any videos of their favourite celebrities that are telling them to invest and share private information. Doing so might just save them from a terrible incident and falling victim to broker scams.
Seek Help If You Fall Victim
If you have fallen victim to one of the fake Ai scams, you need to immediately seek help. It is okay to feel embarrassed that you have fallen for their cunning ways, however, you should take the required action to obtain back your information and report the scammers who have targeted you. If you have sent money to such scammers, you might be able to enlist the help of a cryptocurrency scam recovery specialist to retrieve your investment. You should also report the site and send any information you have to the police and the FCA.
Bottom line
Overall, deep fake celebrities will become more prominent as time goes on, but as scams develop, we should hope to see the restriction on Ai tightening in alignment with this. Stay cautious about what you see on the internet, and report any fake Ai advertisements that encourage you to send money and personal data.