Criminals have started using artificial intelligence (AI) to trick people by pretending to be senior US government officials, according to a warning from the FBI issued on May 15.
The FBI explained that attackers are sending deepfake voice recordings and text messages that appear to come from federal or state officials.
The agency warned, “If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior US official, do not assume it is authentic”.
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Once the scammers make contact, they often send links to websites or platforms they control. These sites are set up to steal login details, passwords, and other private information. In some cases, they may also ask for money or try to get more details by pretending to be someone the victim knows.
The FBI warned that if a real official’s account is taken over, the damage could spread quickly. Hackers could then use that person’s contact list to reach other government workers or their partners. They added:
Contact information acquired through social engineering schemes could also be used to impersonate contacts to elicit information or funds.
To avoid falling for these scams, the FBI recommends checking the sender’s details carefully. Look for spelling mistakes or small changes in email addresses that could signal something is off.
They also advised against sharing sensitive information, opening links from unfamiliar sources, or relying on just one password to protect accounts.
Recently, the FBI highlighted cryptocurrency scams in its 2024 annual report. What did it say? Read the full story.
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