Artificial intelligence (AI) doesn’t always appear artificial and that can be a problem. AI can create realistic text, voices, images and websites in seconds. Those capabilities make many everyday tools more useful, but they also make it easier for scammers to impersonate family members, banks and even your electric cooperative.
“AI can help scammers produce polished, convincing messages and build fake websites that closely mimic a bank or even an electric co-op,” said Carter Manucy, NRECA’s senior director for cybersecurity.
Scammers can build sites and communications that resemble an electric co-op and contact members with high-pressure calls or emails demanding instant payment via gift cards, wire and even cryptocurrency or risk shutoff.
So, what should co-op members do in that situation? Stop and make sure the contact is legitimate. Members should treat any unexpected demand for immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency as a scam and contact their co-op directly using the number on their bill.
“Call back using a number you already know, never one the caller provides. For a co-op message, use the number on your bill,” said Manucy. “Any message that pressures you to act immediately is the top red flag, no matter how real it sounds.”
As AI makes scams much more difficult to spot, it also equips these rip-off artists with ways to boost their output and victimize thousands of people in just a few clicks. AI allows criminals to create, personalize and distribute convincing scams at a scale that once required far more time and people.
“Criminals can generate thousands of tailored attacks cheaply, so more scams reach members’ phones and inboxes, more often,” Manucy said. As a result, the loot scammers are reaping is unprecedented. Americans reported nearly $900 million in AI-assisted scam losses in one year, according to the FBI.
There are several ways to protect yourself against today’s AI scams. Distrust urgency of a request for money or personal data, and verify parties making requests through a trusted channel, such as a phone number on your bill. Before clicking a link, check the website address for veracity.
Set a family code word not shared online and ask for the code word if you receive an emergency call. A cloned voice won’t know it.
Protect yourself when paying for goods and services online. Reject requirements for gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency as these payments are difficult (and sometimes impossible) to recover.
Most important, if you become a victim of a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
