As Black Friday brings joy to shoppers with irresistible deals, it’s not just the consumers gearing up for a spree – scammers are too. We have already covered a post where we discussed how the Black Friday scams work and how can you avoid them.
But scammers seem to have kicked it up a notch. In ways more than one, scammers may exploit AI to deceive unsuspecting customers, making fraudulent deals appear legitimate.
In this post, we’ll try to unravel why as customers, we need to be more cautious than ever as AI may blur the line between genuine offers and fraudulent deals. In this post, we are going to enlist ways in which you will be able to ascertain if it’s an AI scam in the blink of an eye.
How Can AI Make Black Friday Scams Harder To Spot?
To begin with, scams look a lot more real because of generative AI. And, since AI is quick, if misused scammers can create large-scale attacks.
– Mass Marketing Emails
AI is capable of generating mass marketing emails. These are so well crafted that a normal user sometimes can’t differentiate between an email sent by a brand or scammers. The scammers go down to the tee and replicate images, fonts, design, and other elements in such a way that it looks like the email has come from the brand.
– Fake Websites
Gone are the days when extensive coding knowledge was a prerequisite for setting up websites. With AI creating fake websites is alarmingly easy. In a jiffy, a scammer can replicate a professional-looking site from a prominent brand and set it up with authentic logos, layouts, and even fake reviews. These sites can easily lure unsuspecting shoppers into revealing sensitive information.
– AI Chatbots
AI-powered chatbots are a weapon that scammers use to bait shoppers. These chatbots impersonate customer service representatives and offer huge (sometimes, unrealistic discounts).
– Celebrity Endorsements
You are more likely to purchase a product endorsed by your favorite celebrity. Beware! With deepfake technology, hyper-realistic celebrity endorsements can easily be created.
And, since the deal is promoted by your favorite celebrity, you might be duped into paying up for a deal that actually doesn’t exist.
How To Save Yourself From Getting Duped?
– Check The Website URL
A discount deal might look outrageously unbelievable. It might just be the right time to trust your gut. So, what next? You can head to the retailer’s website and check if they are offering discounts. There are various other ways in which you can differentiate a safe website from an unsafe one.
– Don’t Give Your Sensitive Information
Remember the likes of questionable AI Chatbots we just mentioned? If a bot asks you for sensitive information or asks you to pay upfront, exercise caution, validate the authenticity of the deal, and then proceed. Although, we advise you against furnishing any sensitive information such as banking details, debit/ credit card numbers, etc.
– Fetch Deals From Trusted Websites
Even if not from a retailer’s website, you can fetch discounts on popular brands from trusted sources like Tweak Library. In fact, if you are looking for super-deals on mobiles, laptops, and popular software, head to this post.
– Choose A Secure Payment Method
Use a payment method that’s backed by end-to-end protection. Credit Cards from most banks, for instance, have fraud protection. So, even if in the worst-case scenario, your Credit Card is compromised, you are more likely to get your losses reimbursed.
– Fake Celebrity Endorsements
There are several ways you can identify if deepfake technology is used. Considering that the technology is still in an early stage, here are some ways to detect deepfakes –
- Facial expressions and body movements don’t match.
- Mismatch in lip-sync. You may also see discrepancies in lip movements.
- As of now, AI is facing difficulties in eye blinking. So, if you see inconsistencies in eye blinking patterns, it could be a deepfake video.
- Another anomaly is that you can often notice is that the pupils of the subject aren’t dilating naturally.
Enjoy Black Friday Deals Without Falling For AI Scams
As shown in this post, scammers with malicious intent may leverage AI to dupe you but with certain measures, you can certainly thwart their intentions. You can verify websites, prevent yourself from clicking on phishing emails, analyze videos that look off, and use payment methods like credit cards that come with fraud protection.
If you find value in this post, share your views in the comments section below. For more such content keep reading Tweak Library.
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