The huge inclination towards technology is redefining the different sectors like health, finance, education, and many more. There has been a growing concern among the tech people about these sectors’ boost in tech dependency. While everyone looks at the bright side of technology, which helps speed up the work or make it easier for humans, it’s time to be concerned about the other side of technology.
We are experiencing the good side because we use it with the right intentions, but it’s not always the case. There have been cases where spammers exploit technology to avail illicit advantages. It’s time to discuss the opportunities offered by technology to these bad people, so we talked to RNF Technologies’ Raghib Khan and asked him to stress our concerns about how technology, specifically AI, is triggering online scams and spam. He shared a few instances when AI gets into the wrong hands.
Voice Cloning Spam
Do you ever question anything when it comes from your known ones? I guess the majority don’t. We do what they ask us to do, whether it’s an urgent money transfer, revealing banking details, or telling the OTP on a call. But, it’s time to get cautious because of the new voice cloning spam. RNF Technologies’ Raghib Khan highlights that these voice cloning spams use software that mimics a human voice even after listening for a few seconds. The scammers will use the same number and voice as your known person and try to get your details or other information that can help them gain access to your banking accounts.
It may sound weird, but one can ask some verification questions to know whether the person calling is genuine or a voice cloning spam. One needs to stay alert while talking on the phone and notice the time taken to reply and the type of questions the caller asks. If they are directing you to reveal your personal information, you must be cautious when sharing any details. Also, inform the person whose number and voice the spammers have hacked as it will harm their reputation and can even get them into some legal trouble. So, it’s better to inform them beforehand so they can file a complaint against it.
AI Deepfake Spam
A growing unease has been felt around growing deepfake technologies that allow users to create scenes that never really happened. Yes, with deep fake technology, one can create fake images or videos of desirable people doing or saying things they weren’t involved in. It is the primary concern of the people that this deep fake technology can allow anyone to make fake videos of famous or reputational people and harm their stature. Many past incidents have occurred where politicians were accused of saying hurtful things to the opposition leaders. In contrast, in reality, they didn’t even know about the existence of such a video.
Several US laws against these deepfakes have been implemented to control these spammy videos or images, while researchers are figuring out ways to distinguish between fake and genuine videos and also working towards building software that can detect these manipulated videos and prevent them from getting posted on social media platforms, addresses Raghib Khan, Director of Phonato Studios, product development arm of RNF Technologies.
AI-Generated Phishing Spam
With more people having access to technologies like AI, criminals can automate the design of spoofed pages and make them appear more compelling.
AI supports schemes with a more extensive scope too. Spammers can send mass AI-generated phishing emails to target a broader range of users. Essentially, AI has made phishing more convincing, scalable, and beneficial.
These are the few ways AI, i.e., technology, is boosting digital spam and it needs immediate attention, stresses Phonato Studios’ Raghib Khan. If these spammers continue exploiting the available technologies, things will soon surpass anyone’s control.
