AI Fraud Beware: Scammers Use Very Convincing Phishing Phone Calls

Fraud utilizes AI technology to create very convincing phishing calls (photo: x @ProPakistaniPK)

JAKARTA - A security expert almost became a victim of artificial intelligence (AI)-based fraud via phone calls aimed at obtaining information on his Gmail account. Sam Mitrovic, the expert, called the call "very realistic" and warned that many people could be deceived.

Mitrovic explained in his blog how this scenario happened. Initially, he received a notification for the recovery of his unsolicited Gmail account, followed by a phone call that appeared to be from Google Sydney.

One week later, the same notification appeared, and he received a call from a polite and professional voice, asking for clarification on alleged suspicious activity on his Gmail account.

Mitrovic immediately checked the phone number used and found that although the number looked legit, it was actually a number for the Google Assistant service, not for Gmail.

When asked to send a confirmation email, the fraudster sent a legitimate-looking email at first sight, but after further inspection, the sender's address did not come from Google's domain.

The most surprising thing for Mitrovic is when he realizes that the sound at the end of the phone is the voice of AI, with pronunciations and pauses that are too perfect. This scam leverages AI technology to make very convincing phishing calls, incorporating phone number spoofing and email, thereby increasing the chances of victims being deceived.

Mitrovic stressed the importance of paying attention to warning signs, such as receiving notifications for recovering unrequested accounts, and recalling that Google never called Gmail users except for business accounts.

With the advancement of AI, fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated and is able to reach many people simultaneously, adding to the threat to digital security in the future.