As Artificial Intelligence becomes more widespread, scammers are making new use of the tools to try to rip you off.
Since 2021, more than 16,600 scams have been reported to the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker.
Nearly every scam involves some sort of information theft.
Many scam victims have no idea their personal information may be compromised.
The BBB says the landscape of identity theft is changing with the widespread adoption of AI tools and dark web sites that allow sales of stolen information.
In the new study “AI tools and dark web power identity theft, BBB study shows, putting bank accounts, social security numbers at risk,” the International Investigations Initiative examines patterns of reports, reviews the amount of money lost and shares stories from those caught up in the scams so the public can avoid them.
What are the signs of identity theft?
- Misspelled website URLs
- Suspicious links or attachments in unexpected emails
- Websites with low quality design
- Texts from unknown sources
- Unexpected messages on social media
How can I protect myself from identity theft?
- Secure your personal information. Usernames, passwords, bank accounts and Social Security Numbers are just a few of the personal pieces of information you should be very wary about showing to anyone but fully trusted sources.
- Monitor your accounts. Information theft is incredibly hard to avoid. Regularly checking your credit report and financial accounts can help you catch fraud in the earliest stages before costly scams occur.
- Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. Experts agree that multi-factor authentication is one of the best ways to safeguard your accounts. While it may add a step when you log in, it can make your most sensitive accounts nearly impenetrable to all but the most cunning scammers.
- Protect your financial identity. If you don’t need to open any new credit accounts soon, freezing your credit can stop scammers from ever getting the chance to use stolen information. Setting up fraud alerts can help you cut off scammers’ attempts before any damage is done.
