This is my first column on artificial intelligence scams.
Do you think it will be my last?
Up to this point, for me, playing with A.I., as I’ve previously written, has been a game. I ask friends if they’ve tried it, and usually, they haven’t.
So I go to ChatGPT ( chat.openai.com ) and show them its power. I write something about them and ask that it “generate” back to me as a song or TV show or a poem. Whatever.
In seconds, results are often witty and wise. It’s like a magic trick, the likes of which I’ve never experienced.
It’s difficult to see at this point how this could lead to the end of humanity, as some suggest. A.I. is not only often inaccurate, it also shows no genuine human emotion or passion. This feels like the mid-1990s when the World Wide Web was beginning to take off for everyone.
In ChatGPT, I ask how Dr. Seuss would describe me. Two seconds later:
Dave was the leader of Watchdog Nation, showing Americans the path to salvation. He taught them to fight, to stand up and resist. Against injustice and scams they would persist.
Beautiful.
Scammers’ scripts
I began to devise ways to take advantage of what I call the Lone Scam State of Texas. How will scammers use A.I. to rip us off?
Recently, I shared the story of an ultra-annoying door-to-door sales dude selling solar panels. He ignored my NO SOLICITING sign, hid his city permit in his back pocket and lied about my electric company.
Solar salespeople have become as annoying as roofers who knock on your door after a storm.
“Hey ChatGPT,” I asked, “Give me a script to sell solar panels door to door.”
Salesperson knock on the door. Good morning/afternoon! My name is [Your Name], and I’m here representing Solar Solutions. We’re a trust provider of solar energy systems in your neighborhood. … Many of our customers have reported savings of up to 30% or more on electricity bills.
The two-page script leaves out the most important catch: monthly bills might drop, but the payback on the solar panels could take a decade or more.
When I asked how I could cheat on my federal income taxes, ChatGPT refused to help me. But when I rephrased it and asked how others cheat, ChatGPT gave me a list: underreporting income, overstating deductions, offshore accounts, falsifying documents and creating fake ghost employees.
China hit hard
China is seeing a surge of A.I.-driven fraud, The Wall Street Journal reports.
One prevalent crime is to create voice audio and a video that looks and sounds like an actual family member.
In April, a man received a video call from a scammer who impersonated a friend. The scammer persuaded the victim to transfer $600,000 to a bank account in Inner Mongolia. He did as requested and then called the friend. He realized it was a scam and contacted police.
The victim told police, “We had a video chat, and I recognized the face and voice in the video. That’s why I let my guard down.”
The case “struck a nerve,” The Journal reported. The hashtag #AIFraudIsEruptingAcrossChina caught on.
How do they do it? Scammers use A.I. face-swapping and voice synthesis technology, The Journal reported.
In China, it’s now against the law to create deepfake videos, fake texts and fake audios to spread misinformation.
Not here. The U.S. has no similar laws, but federal lawmakers are talking about it. Scientists, including some who’ve created A.I., have called for a moratorium.
Texas, I recently reported, is going to create a task force to study A.I. and its implications. It’s all happening too fast.
Fake everything
Look for A.I. to create fake product reviews, false news stories, especially fake stories about political opponents.
Don’t forget the solar sales script, which closes:
“Great! Can I arrange a convenient time for our solar expert to visit your home and your solar potential? How does that sound?”
We still have no federal data privacy law. Good news: a new state data privacy law is scheduled to go into effect in Texas in July next year.
For now, protection against scammers depends on you. It’s eyes open, ears listening and gut checking. Trust your instincts.
Dave Lieber writes The Watchdog column for The Dallas Morning News.
