Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved rapidly over recent years, and it shows no signs of slowing‌ down. Industries are constantly rolling out new products, services, and features that utilize AI to streamline operations and enhance the consumer experience.

Unfortunately, cybercriminals are using AI to streamline their operations, too.

Artificial intelligence and its many applications have presented scammers with a wide range of new tools to support increasingly dangerous scams. That’s part of the reason the cost of cybercrime is expected to triple between 2025 and 2028.

Fortunately, there are plenty of actions you can take now to better recognize AI-powered scams and protect your assets for the future. To help you get started, we sat down for a Q&A session with cybersecurity expert Gyan Chawdhary.

Chawdhary is the Founder and Vice President of Kontra, a Security Compass company that operates one of the coding industry’s leading digital security training platforms. 

With over a decade of experience in the cybersecurity industry, Chawdhary also served as the Founder and CEO of Codebashing, the first interactive AppSec training solution.

Read on to get Chawdhary’s insights on how to recognize AI scams, get pro tips on the best ways to avoid these scams, and find out how you can safeguard your digital assets and protect your family from cybercrime using Trustworthy.

How Are Criminals Using AI in Scam Tactics?

Answer: “We're seeing a rise in deepfakes for creating convincing fake videos and audio, AI-generated emails that sound incredibly personalized, and sophisticated chatbots that can mimic human conversation to extract information or build trust.

AI allows scammers to personalize their attacks at scale. 

They can tailor emails, create realistic fake videos, and even adapt their chatbot responses in real-time based on your reactions, making the scams much harder to detect.”

How Does AI Enhance the Believability of Scams?

Answer: “AI helps scammers craft highly targeted social engineering attacks. By analyzing your social media and online behavior, they can create scenarios that seem incredibly plausible, exploiting your trust or fears.

AI can clone voices, faces, and even writing styles. Imagine receiving a call from someone who sounds exactly like your CEO asking for a wire transfer or an email from a "friend" with their unique writing quirks requesting money.

Absolutely. AI-powered phishing emails can bypass traditional spam filters because they're well-written and personalized. The use of deepfakes in videos or calls further adds to the illusion of legitimacy, making them much more effective.”

How Do AI-Powered Scams Impact the Average Consumer?

Answer: “The financial consequences can be devastating, ranging from the loss of small sums to entire life savings. Scams involving wire transfers, investments, or access to bank accounts can lead to substantial financial hardship.

Beyond financial losses, victims often experience shame, embarrassment, and a profound sense of betrayal. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and difficulty trusting others in the future.”

What Can Individuals Do to Protect Themselves From AI Scams?

Answer: “Practice strong password management, be wary of unsolicited communications, and double-check requests for money or personal information. Always verify the identity of the person you're communicating with through a separate, trusted channel.

Use reputable password managers, enable two-factor authentication whenever possible, and be mindful of what information you share online. Regularly back up your data and keep your software updated to patch security vulnerabilities.

AI-powered scams are constantly evolving, so staying informed and adaptable is key. Don't assume that just because you haven't been targeted before, you won't be in the future. 

The best defense is a combination of healthy skepticism, strong cybersecurity habits, and a willingness to report suspicious activity. It's okay to question anything that seems unusual, even if it appears to be from someone you know. When in doubt, verify.”

Protect Your Family From Scammers With Trustworthy

With cyber scams advancing by leaps and bounds, it’s critical to establish foundational security to protect your family’s essential documents and personal information. That’s where a platform like Trustworthy can provide vital support.

Trustworthy’s advanced Family Operating System® acts as your own secure digital vault. You can scan and upload all your important family documents, organize them into categories, and collaborate with trusted users.

Best of all, Trustworthy uses bank-level security to ensure your documents are under lock and key at all times.

Access to your vault is protected by robust password recipes, two-factor authentication (including hardware keys), and AES 256-bit encryption. Unlike many other platforms, Trustworthy also uses tokenization (aliasing) to remove sensitive data from the Trustworthy database and replace it with a corresponding token.

Even when you decide to share your Trustworthy documents or folders with other users, you’re in control of their access at all times. Trustworthy’s Secure Links feature enables you to set a time limit to access, sends you push notifications to let you know when a file has been accessed, and gives you the power to revoke access at any time.

Ready to learn more? Join Trustworthy now and start protecting your sensitive information and important family documents from scammers.