Sen. Mike Braun (R-Indiana) speaks on The Evening Edit about growing fears about technology.
The Beginning Artificial Intelligence (AI) That contributed to a surge in job scams last year, according to a recent report from an identity theft watchdog group.
The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) found that the number of reported job scams increased 118% year over year in 2023. This occurred despite an 18% decrease in the total number of scams reported to the ITRC.
“Identity thief “Job ads, in particular, are increasingly looking and sounding ‘legitimate,’ thanks in part to artificial intelligence,” the ITRC wrote.
“From 2023 through early 2024, we saw an increase in identity thieves creating fake job advertisements on legitimate networking and job search sites, inviting victims to apply,” the ITRC said.
AI voice cloning scams on the rise, experts warn
Scammers are using AI to create fake job ads and obtain sensitive personal information from applicants. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
The watchdog said scammers were creating profiles on LinkedIn and Job site In addition to appearing professional, they also functioned as websites for fake companies and set up interviews under false names and posing as legitimate companies.
As soon as victims believed they had booked a legitimate interview with the scammers, they were told the interview process would be “shifted from the original platform to email, text, video conferencing, or a third-party messaging app” and applicants would need to fill out paperwork and provide identification.
The ITRC advises that providing sensitive personal information to verify your identity, such as a driver’s license or proof of ability to work in the United States, is social security number Additionally, because direct debit information is often part of the onboarding process at a new workplace, victims felt comfortable sharing it with scammers.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Generative AI makes it easier to create deepfakes that look and sound like real humans. (Reuters Television/Reuters/Reuters Photo)
The group said victims often only suspect a scam after sharing their personal information if the company doesn’t respond promptly despite regular contact, or if they’re asked to provide their ID.me login details.
“The rapid improvement in the look, feel and message of identity fraud is arguably AI-Driven Tools“AI tools can help refine ‘pitch’ to make them more believable and compensate for cultural and grammatical differences in language use,” the ITRC wrote.
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“The primary defense against this sophisticated technology is effective and decidedly low-tech: pick up the phone and verify the call directly from its source,” the ITRC added.
