A man in China fell victim to a robbery scam where the perpetrator used artificial intelligence (AI) to alter their appearance and impersonate one of the victim’s friends. The authorities reported that the scammer was successful in stealing over $600,000 from the victim.
The scam took place in April via a video call in which the perpetrator convinced the victim that their friend urgently needed money for a tender’s security deposit. Without suspecting foul play, the victim transferred $610,000 from their company’s bank account to the scammer.
After realizing their mistake, the victim contacted the police. Fortunately, authorities were able to halt the bank transfer and recover $482,000 of the stolen funds. However, they were unable to identify the perpetrator.
Instances of AI being used for malicious purposes have led to widespread distrust of the technology. In November, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, a chatbot interface capable of mimicking human speech – further fueling concerns over the use of AI technology.
In China, tech giants are working to create similar AI devices to ChatGPT, raising concerns over a potential proliferation of these types of scams.
As technology continues to progress, it’s important to remain vigilant and cautious of online scams, particularly when it comes to transferring large sums of money or sensitive information. If you suspect that you may have been targeted by a scam, contact the authorities immediately.
