Photo Credit: Pixabay
Social media users, you have been warned: some of the AI tools and apps that you see being advertised on social media platforms such as Facebook are total scams. In a best-case scenario, the apps don’t work as touted, or aren’t actually powered by AI. In a worst-case scenario, the ads will take you to a fake website and persuade you to download dangerous malware. With that in mind, here are a few tricks to help stay safe out there.
Be careful what you click on
This might seem like common sense advice, but you might be surprised at how often people blindly click on websites, without verifying whether or not they might be a scam. Often, the fraudsters do such a slick job of impersonating a website of a famous brand or product, that you can’t really tell the difference unless you take a careful look.
So what does this have to do with AI? Well, scammers and fraudsters have found that there is tremendous, pent-up demand for tools that feature generative AI, so they are busy concocting all kinds of fake sites that look exactly like the original. In some cases, they are taking over personal social media sites, and then re-branding them to look like the page of the AI product or tool. That gives an air of legitimacy to the scam.
Be skeptical of any ads for AI products
As a corollary to the above, it’s best to be skeptical about any ads for AI tools and products that pop up in your social media feeds. If something really catches your eye, write down the name of the product and try to find its original website on the internet. That way, you won’t be clicking on a spammy link.
According to web sleuths, scammers are focused on photo-editing tools that use generative AI. These AI-powered tools are something that resonates with social media users, given how important it is to have photos that look good for platforms like Facebook or Instagram. But when you click on the link to download the app, you’ll be downloading malware instead. The most vile form of this malware will recognize your login credentials, and use them for other nefarious purposes.
Be careful with your personal details
If, by any chance, you do wind up on a website after clicking on an ad or social media post, be careful about what information you divulge, as well as what you make known to the website. For example, if it’s asking for your Social Security Number, then you’re probably in the wrong place. And, before you give out any credit card details, make sure you’re on the right website. You can always look for telltale signs, such as misspelled words, or any language that doesn’t quite sound right.
Same story, different characters
In many ways, what’s happening with scammy AI social media ads is no different than what has always happened on the internet. Once a profitable online niche has been identified, that’s when the scammers step in. In some cases, they try to sell you “knock-off” products. That is, they try to trick you into buying products that have a similar name or branding as the original item, but are far inferior and a cheap rip-off.
The big takeaway here is: beware of AI tools being advertised on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. By clicking on those ads showing up in your news feed, you could be putting your online identity at risk.
