A phone shows a call coming in. (Photo: WLOS staff, file)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) —Scammers are finding new ways to steal your money and they’re using tools that are completely legal to do it.
A new investigation from the Better Business Bureau finds more than half of Americans encounter a scam attempt every day.
According to the BBB, scammers are exploiting legitimate technology including <a href="https://axiomcore.info/these-2-artificial-intelligence-ai-stocks-could-soar-by-66-and-46-according-to-wall-street/" title="These 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Could Soar by 66% and 46%, According to Wall Street”>artificial intelligence, phone services, websites and social media to make their schemes look more convincing.
Scammers can use website templates and social media accounts to create realistic-looking scams designed to trick potential victims into handing over money or personal information.
AI is also making it easier for scammers to impersonate celebrities and other trusted figures.
Julie Goodwin, with the BBB, said scammers can create entire fake scenarios using artificial intelligence.
“They can create a whole story. There was one where they had Oprah Winfrey being interviewed and she was talking about her weight loss, and people thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to jump on this.’ It was all done through AI, and people got scammed by that.”
More than $68 billion was lost to financial fraud last year, according to the investigation.
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The BBB recommends watching for common warning signs, including:
- Calls from unknown phone numbers
- Robotic or recorded voices
- Unsolicited loan offers
- Unexpected texts or emails from strangers
- Links asking you to provide personal or financial information
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Experts recommend letting calls from unknown numbers go to voicemail and turning on your phone’s spam filter.
If you receive an unexpected text or email from someone you don’t know, don’t click the link. Instead, verify who sent the message and go directly to the company’s official website if you need to check an account or offer.
The BBB said slowing down and taking a moment to verify an unexpected request can help prevent you from becoming the next scam victim.
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