AI (Artificial Intelligence) is growing more sophisticated, tortuous, and complex day by day. Several globally recognised personalities, like Elon Musk, have warned against the impending dangers of AI. Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as more than 1,000 global personalities, had requested in an open letter in the year 2017 to put on hold extensive research programmes on AI advancements worldwide.

The concerns of the tech gurus are legitimate, and that Artificial Intelligence can possibly pose a massive threat to planet Earth and mankind. Whether it’s the increase in automating certain jobs “employing” AI or AI programmes responding back with racist answers and being gender-biassed, humans should never-ever underestimate the imminent threats that come with Artificial Intelligence. Although AI is still in its initial stages, we can’t ignore the possible threatening dangers of it.

Woman Got Duped Of INR 1.4 Lakh Using AI

A middle-aged woman loses INR 1.4 Lakh in a scam made possible using Artificial Intelligence by a fraudster. A man deceitfully mimicked the voice of the lady’s nephew using AI, which ultimately led to the lady losing a massive amount of money during the incident. This incident once again triggered concerns over the dangers that come with AI and, most importantly, the use of Artificial Intelligence for conducting technology-led frauds. It is frightening as well as alarming to see advanced technology being employed to trick and manipulate people. The man, reportedly a fraudster, called up the middle-aged lady and imitated the woman’s nephew’s voice, who is staying in Canada. He fabricated a false story and claimed to be in terrible need of some immediate financial assistance.

Scamming Has Come A Long Way!

According to media reports, the scam took place on November 16, 2023, when a middle-aged lady received a call where the caller sounded exactly like the woman’s nephew, who is residing in North America. The caller, a man on the other end of the phone-call, masterfully pretended to be the lady’s nephew and even spoke in flawless Punjabi. The man said that he faced an accident a few moments ago and is also facing legal action; hence, he is in urgent need of monetary aid. The duped woman was so convinced by whatever was claimed by the man that she immediately transferred INR 1.4 Lakh to the account of the imposter. By the time the lady finally understood the scam, she had already been tricked into transferring the amount to the caller’s account.

What Do Cybersecurity Experts Have To Say?

Cybersecurity experts have repeatedly cautioned people and asked everyone to stay alert online. There is a rising prevalence of fraudsters using AI to trick incautious targets into transferring money to the tricksters’ accounts. Cybersecurity gurus are repeatedly shedding light on the intricate workings of these scams. AI voice cloning technology can skillfully mimic the voice of anyone by collecting and processing the voice data of the target that is available on the web. Scammers using AI voice cloning tools collect voice data primarily from the targeted person’s social media accounts.

Not only from social media platforms, but professional imposters can also accumulate voice data by calling the targeted person. After processing the voice data of the target using sophisticated AI tools, scammers then finally call any of the targeted prey’s family members or friends. Scammers pretend to be someone (whose cloned voice is being used during the call) whom the contacted person knows closely.

This is a new-age scamming technique where scammers can convincingly deceive people, especially the ageing population. Creating a false sense of urgency, fraudsters ask for money to be transferred to their bank accounts. People from the older generation are more prone to getting tricked by this kind of scamming technique, as they are unaware of the extent modern technology has reached. Being highly alert while online and handling strangers over a phone-call tactfully remains imperative to avoid getting tricked and duped.

AI: A Boon Or A Bane?

Although AI-led online frauds are reported very rarely, cybersecurity specialists warn against this new-age tricking technique and urge everyone to think wisely, practically, and logically ahead of transferring money online to anyone. AI (Artificial Intelligence) is one of the hottest and trending topics both online and offline. Although Artificial Intelligence possesses the power to shake up industries across the world, this technological advancement also carries its share of downsides. By automating certain tasks, AI can take over the jobs of millions of people globally.

Furthermore, AI can also be used for many unethical purposes, such as creating Deepfake videos to tarnish the image of anyone. In fact,we have seen many well-known personalities targeted by creating Deepfake videos and circulating them on the internet. Recently, videos of actress Rashmika Mandana were doing the rounds on the web and were later revealed to have been morphed using Deepfake technology. Ultimately, the question of whether Artificial Intelligence is a boon or a bane for mankind depends on how humans use it. To conclude, we must make use of AI wisely and ensure that its benefits are relished by all.