INDIANAPOLIS — 2024 is almost here, and cybersecurity experts say their top concern for the new year when it comes to scams is AI, also known as Artificial Intelligence.
AI can be used to clone voices of your loved ones, and it’s now being used to make deep-fake videos that look realistic.
The Identity Theft Resource Center released its 2024 predictions and the number one on the list was AI.
“The greatest risk from generative AI will continue to be mis- and dis-information,” read the report.
Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of Identity Theft Resource Center, said while cloned voices are a concern, consumers need to be wary of videos as well.
“We are much more concerned with AI being used to perpetrate things, like charity scams, where you have a deep fake video of a celebrity or a well-known individual saying 'I'm supporting this cause, click the link below to donate your money,'” said Velasquez.
Velasquez said it can be very difficult to tell what is real and what’s not.
“I think it's going to be very hard for people to discern whether that particular phishing email is generated by AI or that particular video clip,” said Velasquez.
You can protect yourself by verifying any unsolicited phone call, text message, email or social media message that you receive.
"The best example I can give is if you get an email from your bank and you didn't initiative the contact, go to your bank,” said Velasquez. “Call the phone number on the back of your card or go into the branch."
ITRC’s 2024 Predictions also include:
- An unprecedented number of data breaches. Financially motivated and Nation/State threat actors will drive new levels of identity crimes in 2024, especially impersonation and synthetic identity fraud. That will, in turn, drive more adoption of biometric-based identity verification (not recognition) tools to prove people are who they claim to be.
- More states will adopt comprehensive data privacy and security laws. Congress will not.
- The emotional toll of identity crimes will continue to increase, and assistance providers will struggle to meet the emotional recovery needs of victims. Identity crime victimization is too often classified as not creating trauma that requires support, despite the fact that our latest Consumer Impact Report notes that 16% of respondents contemplated suicide as a result of an identity crime.
