Offenders are impersonating federal agents, landlords, famous figures and even your loved ones, with the ability to mimic voices on a phone call or disguise a phony email or link as legitimate. Some people have even been tricked into unwittingly participating in a scam ring themselves, or, according to a new report, had their own AI-powered helpers and online tools turned against them.
The study, from cybersecurity firm Semperis, found that AI is now utilized in a whopping 84% of ransomware attacks, which involve installing software programs on victims' devices and then demanding payment to access the crucial, often private information therein (hence the "ransom" in the name). And as algorithms advance, perpetrators are getting more practiced and confident in using them, especially in cases where they wouldn't be able to do the technical work themselves.
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