Artificial intelligence increases the risks of cyber extortion
Malwarebytes, a cybersecurity company, stated that with the capabilities of artificial intelligence and ongoing technological advancements, scams have become more effective. It warned of a state of “chaos” driven by criminals’ growing ability to create highly convincing fake content to intimidate, deceive, and steal money from people.
The antivirus company added that as AI makes fake audio and video appear realistic, coercion tactics—such as sextortion, deepfakes, and virtual kidnapping—have become more believable than ever, deceiving even the most experienced digital users.
Malwarebytes noted that as AI continues to make scams appear more authentic, criminals gain a significant advantage in manipulating and extorting victims.
The company explained that Generation Z and Millennials are the most vulnerable groups, accounting for two out of every three victims. Recent scams often target personal aspects, harming the privacy and reputation of victims—most of whom are young males.
Experts at Malwarebytes reported that victims surveyed experienced various forms of extortion, ranging from threats to release explicit photos and videos to false claims that a family member had been involved in an accident. About 70% of victims belong to Generation Z or Millennials, and more than 60% are men.
The company also stated that many victims and targets do not take the risk of mobile-based scams seriously, resulting in a lack of preventive measures.
In this context, Malwarebytes urged users to adhere to basic cybersecurity practices, including using security software, strong passwords, multi-factor authentication tools, timely system updates, and being cautious about apps accessing internal files on mobile devices or other systems.
Source: Al Jazeera Net