Be Wary of Online Romance Scams, Warns Meta
SAN FRANCISCO: Meta has warned internet users to be cautious of online acquaintances promising romance but seeking cash as scammers use deep fakes to prey on those looking for love.
"This is a new tool in the toolkit of scammers," Meta global threat disruption policy director David Agranovich told journalists during a briefing.
"These scammers evolve consistently; we have to evolve to keep things right."
The Rise of Generative AI
Generative AI technology has been around for more than a year, but in recent months its use by scammers has grown strong, said "ethical hacker" and SocialProof Security chief executive Rachel Tobac.
GenAI tools available for free from major companies allow scammers to change their faces and voices on video calls as they pretend to be someone they are not.
The Winter Blues
The isolation and glum spirits that can come with winter weather along with the Valentine’s Day holiday is seen as a time of opportunity for scammers.
"We definitely see an influx of scammers preying on that loneliness in the heart of winter," Tobac said.
How Scammers Operate
The scammer’s main goal is money, with the tactic of building trust quickly and then contriving a reason for needing cash or personal data that could be used to access financial accounts, according to Tobac.
"Being politely paranoid goes a long way, and verifying people are who they say they are," Tobac said.
Meta’s Efforts to Combat Scams
Scammers operate across the gamut of social apps, with Meta seeing only a portion of the activity, according to Agranovich.
Last year, Meta took down more than 408,000 accounts from West African countries being used by scammers to pose as military personnel or businessmen to romance people in Australia, Britain, Europe, the United States and elsewhere, according to the tech titan.
Along with taking down nefarious networks, Meta is testing facial recognition technology to check potential online imposters detected by its systems or reported by users.
FAQs
- What is generative AI?
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can generate content, such as images, videos, and text, using a given set of data. - How do scammers use generative AI?
Scammers use generative AI to create fake profiles, messages, and videos to trick people into falling in love and then asking for money. - What can I do to protect myself from online romance scams?
Be cautious of online acquaintances who are too good to be true, and always verify people’s identities before sharing personal or financial information. - What is Meta doing to combat online romance scams?
Meta is taking down nefarious networks and testing facial recognition technology to check potential online imposters detected by its systems or reported by users.