With recent advancements in human technology, artificial intelligence chat bots have now infiltrated our lives. From ChatGPT to Microsoft’s Bing AI and Google’s recently released Bard, many of us are now becoming exposed to a new world of AI capabilities. However this has also created a worrying threat, as scammers have now turned to dating apps to find their next targets.
The vulnerability of those searching for romance was highlighted by a survey of two thousand people in the UK who reported that 30% had fallen victim, or knew someone who had, to a romance scam. To help, fraud prevention specialist Daniel Holmes provided key indicators on how to detect AI scammers on dating sites.
One of the tips is to check the profile of the person on other social media platforms. If it’s not on any other apps, then it is a sign that it may be an AI scammer. To detect if the images have been manipulated, you should take a closer look to see if they look generic, rather than current and recent. Another warning sign is if the person refuses to send you selfies and videos.
Another important factor to note is that AI scammers may try to take the conversation out of the dating site and into a WhatsApp or SMS conversation. This is usually around the same time when the scammer starts requesting for money. It is also worth keeping in mind if the conversation partner is consistently avoiding meeting up in real life.
With AI scammer now able to create sophisticated messages and images, it’s important to stay vigilant and seek for signs. Checking the profile on other social media platforms, looking for manipulated images and noticing requests for money are all key indicators that the person you might be talking to may not be who they say they are. The best way to combat AI scammer is to stay vigilant and information both yourself and others around you on the warning signs.
