Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we live and work—but it’s also supercharging the tactics of cybercriminals. Gone are the days when scam emails were easy to spot thanks to awkward grammar and obvious typos. Today, AI can craft flawless messages in seconds, making fraudsters harder to detect and their schemes more convincing than ever.
Publicly available AI tools are even being used to generate “deepfakes.” Deepfakes can be voicemails, videos, images, or messages that mimic real people with eerie accuracy. These digital impersonations can be harmful and used to trick you into sharing sensitive information.
Arm yourself with knowledge and stay one step ahead with these tips below.
Learn to detect deepfake scams
Finding inconsistencies is the key to figuring out whether a video, image, or audio shared via text, social media, or email is computer-generated. Some signs to look for:
- Blurry, distorted, or fake-looking facial features
- Blinking too much or too little
- Audio and video that’s out of sync
- Flat or unnatural voice tone
- Odd or unnatural lighting or shadows
Think before you act
Did you receive a message where someone is pressuring you to do something you wouldn’t normally do? This is a common scam tactic that AI can amplify, whether that’s through a traditional email or a deepfake. Use caution if you see the following in emails, texts, video, or voice messages:
- Unexpected requests for money, passwords, or personal information
- Fear or urgency that provokes an emotional response
- Texts, phone calls, or videos from someone you know requesting something odd or a strange favor
Prevention is protection
There are steps you can take to protect yourself from these scams. To stay safe, consider:
- Verifying the legitimacy of people, images, and requests by checking trusted numbers, official websites, and using reverse image/video search tools
- Creating codewords or phrases to confirm the identity of those close to you
- Limiting images, videos, or voice clips of yourself that are posted online
Report, report, report
If a deepfake scam compromises your Rutgers account or data, report the incident by emailing abuse@rutgers.edu or calling the OIT Help Desk at 833-OIT-HELP. Deepfakes that are spotted on social media, or that haven’t compromised your Rutgers account, should be reported to the platform itself, or to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.