Selling with Data #90 - Protecting our aging population from AI

I fear two things when it comes to AI and my parents: losing my patience while talking my father through reconnecting Alexa to their WiFi and their falling victim to AI fraud.

The United States Federal Bureau Investigation Internet Crime Compliant Center (IC3) reported that in 2023 scams targeting the elderly went up 14% and resulted in a 3.4 billion loss for victims. Unfortunately, most victims are embarrassed, and many cases go unreported. As AI improves, so does the sophistication and number of AI scams.

Common threats using AI to target the elderly include:

1. Voice cloning. AI can clone a person's voice using just a short audio sample. Voice cloning is often used in scams where the criminal pretends to be a family member who is in trouble or a trusted figure asking for urgent help or someone claiming to be from your bank asking for sensitive information.

2. Tech support scams. These scams prey upon the doubts and discomforts many people have around computers. Typically, a person’s computer or phone screen will freeze or go blank, and a pop-up message will direct the target to call a number to fix the problem. When the user calls it, the scammer on the other end will ask for permission to log on to the device remotely. This fake “tech support” representative also may demand a fee to repair the “issue.”

3. Phishing email attacks. Scammers use email to steal personal information. These emails often look like real account notifications or urgent requests from reputable companies. The scammers are using information collected from online sources to personalize the message, making it seem like it’s written specifically for the recipient.

4. Fake websites. AI scams generate ads that lead to fake, AI-generated websites that look nearly identical to legitimate ones. When visitors arrive, they unexpectedly enter their personal information, leading to identity theft or financial fraud.

Our brains are wired to trust by default. We instinctively believe what we read or hear unless we've learned to be skeptical. As we age, our social circles shrink, and we rely more on a limited set of information sources, often treating them as absolute truth. This makes it harder to distinguish between real emergencies and scams, increasing vulnerability to fraud.

The Gell-Mann Amnesia effect explains how even when we recognize a news source as inaccurate on topics we understand well, we still trust it on subjects we know little about. For example, if you read an article about your area of expertise and quickly spot its flaws, you might dismiss it as biased or misleading. Then, when reading the next article—on a topic you're unfamiliar with—you default to trusting it, despite just experiencing poor reporting.

AI scammers exploit this blind spot. They generate convincing but false information, relying on our tendency to trust sources that appear authoritative. By mimicking familiar voices, official-looking messages, or news-style content, they manipulate us into believing and acting on misinformation and take advantage of our vulnerabilities to extract information or money.

Tips to avoid being scammed by AI:

• Don't trust unsolicited calls. Be wary of calls from unknown numbers, especially if they claim to be from a company you don't expect to hear from. If you are unsure of the validity of the caller, hang up and call back the person at their number or a company on their official phone number (from their website or an existing bill). For families with kids or elderly parents, establish a secret word or phrase that only you and your loved ones know, so you can verify identifies over the phone.

• Be aware of phishing attempts. Be cautious of links in emails or messages, especially if they seem out of place or suspicious.  Most email browsers make it easy to see the actual email address versus the alias that scammers try to use to trick their victims. You might see an email from Important Sender <important@aiscammer.com>. Pay attention to the actual email address in the < > to validate it’s coming from who you think it is. Do not click suspicious links or requests to provide personalized information.

• Protect personal information. Don't share your full name, bank details, address, social security number, or other sensitive information unless you are absolutely sure the request is legitimate. If you are reaching for your credit card, stop and ask yourself if you trust the source.

• Recognize the AI cons. Today, computer security software costs less than $50. If someone, you do not know is telling you your computer needs to install security software and it is a few hundred dollars, do not share your computer screen with them – hang up the phone.

I know my parents well enough to know that if they are victims of an AI powered scam, they would likely be too embarrassed to ask for help.

Here are a few tips that may help them and others in similar situations:

Don't be embarrassed. Scams are specifically designed to catch us off guard, and they can happen to anyone. There’s nothing to be ashamed of if you think it happened to you.

Trust your intuition. If anything about an email, phone call, letter, or text seems off, tell a family member or friend before clicking on a link, sharing additional information, or especially sending money. Look for grammatical errors, misspellings, or a tone that seems strange, although AI might help correct those issues.

Verify the information. If you get an email from your bank alerting you of potential fraud or requesting more information, call the bank directly (from your typical phone number not a phone number on the email) to confirm that they sent the email.

Don’t engage. Avoid immediately responding to or acting on suspicious requests. Resist the urge to click on links, open attachments, or call phone numbers.

Secure your accounts: If you’ve already provided information to a suspected fraudster, change all your passwords and monitor your financial accounts carefully for any unusual activity. You can also set up a fraud alert on your credit report, which makes it harder for scammers to set up new accounts in your name.

Just like everything – with the good there is potential for bad. I remain excited about the good of AI and plan to help keep my parents one step ahead of the bad guys – while hoping Alexa stays connected to their WiFi.

Good selling.