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Not-a-bot: Online scammers are pretending to offer AI – Here’s how to tell
A new scam is surfacing on Facebook and other popular social media sites. This time, thieves target tech fans … and many are falling for it. I’m going to help you dodge that bullet.
Here’s what everyone on social media should know.
That’s not ChatGPT on Facebook
As Admiral Ackbar would say, “It’s a trap!” But is ChatGPT itself going to the dark side so soon? Not really (although that can change). It’s just scams pretending to be AI to attract people to the new trend.
Hackers develop sophisticated ads and use a verified profile on Facebook to publish them. The ads appear to be for AI tools like OpenAI, Midjourney, Google’s Bard and more.
Unlike many ad cons and phishing attempts, these scams aren’t targeting the technologically illiterate. Instead, they’re going after people interested in benefiting from AI. That could be businesses who want AI to write listings or programming students looking for automated help with coding.
They may simply advertise AI’s “latest huge development” to attract the curious or promise big bucks. Plus, the ads copy logos and graphics from sources like Microsoft or Midjourney, so they look legitimate. All these ads sneak in a link purporting to take you to download a chatbot or ask a question to fix a big problem.
Uhh, that link will not take you to a helpful AI query. But it will download a big heap of malware onto your device to steal passwords, IDs for crypto wallets and any other valuable information you may be storing in your browser. Some even imitate real AI websites to ask for virus-laced sign-ups.
Research has shown these ads have appeared on Facebook since early 2023. And thousands of people aren’t just falling for them. They’re subscribing to the fake Facebook pages, liking the posts and even sharing them with others. Like canny Ackbar, we, too, need to take fast action on traps. Here’s how.
Checking the chat: How to dodge these frauds
First, I encourage you to take everything you see on social media with a huge grain of salt, especially the ads. A little skepticism can go a long way! But to stay away from these specific, tech-friendly scams, a few simple steps will do:
- Don’t click on ads. I don’t care if it’s your grandma holding a kitten and a plate of cookies. Don’t do it. Don’t trust pages or posted links from well-meaning friends, either. If you see an ad or business on Facebook that interests you, Google it separately to check if it’s legit and has a website. Remember, if you spot one of these ads, you can use Facebook’s report or block functions.
- Only download from trusted sources you’ve researched. Don’t trust a logo or URL to be honest about what it is. Don’t believe reports about special deals or limited-time downloads. And don’t trust the name of any download, either. That file may be called Best-ChatGPT-Ever-Promise, but you better believe it’s delivering malware like Doenerium to your hard drive.
- Stay wary of hype. It’s great to be excited about things. But let your enthusiasm stop short of trusting unknown companies and content online. I’ve got you covered with the latest trends, and there are many friendly online communities where you can ask questions and share your excitement without getting involved with scammers.
See? Keeping that malware away isn’t so hard. Remember to warn an exhausted crypto bro or innocent aunt in your life so they don’t fall for it. We’re all in this together!
Tags: Facebook, Google, hackers, malware, phishing attempts, scams, social media
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