Masquerading malware: FBI shines light on new AI-assisted scam duping victims out of thousands [Video]

The FBI has issued a scam alert involving sophisticated artificial intelligence and “masquerading malware,” warning that people have lost thousands of dollars to these deceptive schemes.

Austin Ennis, an individual who considers himself to be very tech-savvy and familiar with computers, the web, and cryptocurrency, fell victim to one of those scams. He encountered a phony Elon Musk video on what appeared to be a legitimate YouTube stream that prompted viewers to participate in a cryptocurrency giveaway.

Austin scanned a QR code shown on the video that directed him to what appeared to be a well-polished “.org” website, where he subsequently sent $4,000, and later realized he had been duped.

The trend of using artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes representing known organizations or influencers for fraudulent activities has escalated over the past year. This type of scam often begins with a phishing link sent through an email, imitating a familiar service provider …