The internet is a place where people from all around the world go to converse with each other online, without knowing each other’s identity, unless you put it out there what your full name is and what you look like. You assume that whenever you go on a site like Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms, it will give you truthful information about what you’re looking at and who you’re talking to. We believe that these sites, and other users, won’t take advantage of our vulnerability. But then again, the internet is full of AI-generated news and advertisements of deepfake scams that circulate on platforms, tricking many, especially the elderly, into falling for scams.
Throughout the internet, users face a serious issue with cybersecurity due to deepfake AI scams. Much of the information online is unreliable, and those from more recent generations are well aware of that. These scams often target those of the older generation as they can’t differentiate reality from fiction, due to the immense evolution of technology.
As published by the Central Bank, “Imagine receiving a phone call from someone you trust, such as a family member. The caller ID might show a familiar name, and when you answer, you hear their voice urgently asking for help. They claim to be in trouble, perhaps they’ve been in an accident or are stuck abroad and they need you to send money immediately. It’s a stressful situation that prompts a fast response. However, the voice you hear may not be real.”
Emphasizing how easily older generations can believe that these websites are real and give out all personal information all to just get scammed. Children of younger ages who face exposure to the internet at a young age could also be a victim of a deepfake scam. For example, scammers can take advantage of a child’s vulnerability and use lovable characters to deceive children into giving out personal information.
Fox News explains that AI machines could even impersonate a model or real life celebrities due to the amount of access AI has to our world’s information: “From hijacked AI accounts and manipulated models to live video scams and data poisoning, the report paints a picture of a rapidly evolving threat landscape, one that’s touching more lives than ever before.”
This emphasizes the swiftly progressing threat of AI and how it could affect our world today by the expulsion of ignorant people on the internet.
Through the weak ranges of cybersecurity, we face dangerous challenges with cyber criminals. Cyber criminals can infiltrate the borders of the internet very easily and hijack the most secured parts of the internet with the click of a couple buttons. All they need to do is advertise something that piques the victim’s interest, and with a single click from the side of the victim, the cyber criminal is in, and all the personal information of the victim could be sold on the deep web.
These threats call for immediate attention, so it’s recommended to keep an eye on your financial accounts consistently, keep strong, secure passwords, and avoid entering any personal information into AI tools.
