Rising Threat of AI Cybersecurity Risks and Deepfake Scams

Imagine this scenario: your phone rings, and the voice on the other end perfectly mimics your boss, a trusted friend, or even a government official. They urgently request sensitive information, but what if it is not really them? This alarming situation stems from sophisticated deepfake technology powered by artificial intelligence, making you the target of an increasingly deceptive scam. This is the new reality, and as AI technology becomes more advanced, such attacks occur more frequently and convincingly.

The 2025 AI Security Report issued during the RSA Conference, one of the premier gatherings for cybersecurity professionals, uncovers a significant rise in risks associated with AI technology. The report reveals how criminals exploit artificial intelligence to impersonate individuals, automate scams, and launch large-scale attacks on security systems.

The report outlines a daunting array of threats, including hijacked AI accounts, manipulated models, live video scams, and data poisoning. Criminals employ these tactics to exploit trust, showing that this evolving threat landscape affects more individuals and organizations than ever before.

The Dangers of Mishandling AI Tools

One of the primary risks associated with using AI tools involves the inadvertent sharing of high-risk data. A recent study by cybersecurity firm Check Point found that one in every eighty AI prompts includes high-risk data, while approximately one in thirteen prompts may contain sensitive information. Such data can expose users and organizations to severe security and compliance threats.

High-risk information might include passwords, internal business strategies, client data, or proprietary code. If shared with unsecured AI platforms, this information poses significant risks as it can be logged, intercepted, or leaked at any stage.

Advancements in AI-Powered Impersonation

AI-driven impersonation techniques grow more sophisticated every month. Criminals are now capable of convincingly faking voices and images in real-time. A notable incident occurred in early 2024 when a British engineering firm lost 20 million pounds after a scammer used a deepfake video to impersonate company executives during a Zoom call. The attackers appeared to be trusted leaders, successfully convincing an employee to authorize a significant fund transfer.

Live video manipulation tools are openly available on criminal forums, allowing attackers to swap faces during video calls across multiple languages. Such accessibility only increases the chances for scams to proliferate globally.

AI and Automated Social Engineering

Social engineering has been a longstanding element of cybercrime, and now AI has automated and enhanced it. Cybercriminals no longer have to master multiple languages or remain online constantly to deceive victims. Tools like GoMailPro leverage ChatGPT to generate phishing emails with impeccable grammar and a tone that sounds familiar, making them more credible than poorly executed scams of the past.

GoMailPro can create thousands of unique emails, each tailored to varying degrees of urgency and different phrasing to evade spam filters. This tool is readily available on underground forums for approximately $500 monthly, dramatically lowering the barrier for less experienced offenders.

The Evolving Landscape of Extortion Scams

Another significant threat comes from AI-powered sextortion scams. Scammers deploy emails falsely claiming to possess compromising videos or images of victims, demanding payment to avoid sharing them. Rather than relying on static threats, they utilize AI to craft varying messages, like rephrasing “Time is running out” to “The hourglass is nearly empty for you.” This personalization enhances the message’s urgency while helping it avoid detection.

By mitigating the need for deep language skills, these AI tools empower criminals to conduct extensive phishing campaigns with minimal effort.

Targeting AI Tools and Accounts

With an influx of AI tool adoption, criminals are increasingly targeting the accounts linked to these technologies. Hackers have turned their attention to stealing ChatGPT logins, OpenAI API keys, and other critical accounts to evade usage limits and conceal their identity. They often obtain these credentials through methods such as malware, phishing, and credential stuffing attacks.

Once compromised, these accounts can be sold on illicit platforms, providing cybercriminals access to advanced AI tools for phishing, malware generation, and automation of scams. The methods employed to overcome security measures, such as multi-factor authentication, reveal how determined these attackers are.

Exploiting AI to Lower Security Barriers

Cybercriminals have begun finding ways to circumvent built-in protections within AI models. On the dark web, they share techniques for jailbreaking AI, enabling it to respond to otherwise restricted requests. Sometimes, attackers provoke AI systems to generate instructions that allow them to bypass their limitations.

Moreover, certain AI models can be unintentionally misled into “jailbreaking” themselves. This manipulation underlines the potential for catastrophic and unforeseen consequences stemming from AI interactions.

Confronting the AI-Powered Cyber Threat

The involvement of AI in malicious activities extends even to developing ransomware scripts, phishing kits, and other destructive tools. Notably, the ransomware group FunkSac has admitted that at least twenty percent of their operations harness AI. They use AI to execute denial-of-service attacks, flooding websites with phony traffic to overwhelm their systems.

Even after a successful breach, criminals utilize AI for marketing and analyzing stolen data. For instance, DarkGPT acts as a specialized chatbot designed to analyze vast databases of stolen information, enabling offenders to efficiently identify valuable accounts for further exploitation.

Protective Measures Against AI Cybercrime

As AI-driven scams become more prevalent and sophisticated, there are several steps individuals can take to enhance their protection against these evolving threats:

1. Avoid Sharing Sensitive Data

Never input passwords, personal information, or confidential business content into public AI platforms, as these entries may be misused or logged.

2. Employ Strong Antivirus Software

Outdated security tools may overlook AI-generated phishing emails and malware. Robust antivirus software can safeguard devices against malicious links and alert users to potential threats.

3. Activate Two-Factor Authentication

Enabling 2FA provides an additional layer of protection for accounts, significantly reducing the chance of unauthorized access using stolen passwords.

4. Exercise Caution with Unexpected Calls

If anything feels suspicious about a video call or voice message, double-check the identity of the individual before proceeding, as deepfake technology can create remarkably realistic imitations.

5. Use Data Removal Services

As AI scams rise, utilizing a trusted personal data removal service reduces your digital footprint and makes it more challenging for cybercriminals to access personal information.

6. Consider Identity Theft Protection

Identity protection services monitor personal information for unauthorized use, facilitating early detection of potential fraud.

7. Regularly Monitor Financial Accounts

Routine checks of bank and credit card statements can help catch unauthorized transactions early, minimizing damage.

8. Implement a Secure Password Manager

A password manager aids in creating and maintaining strong, unique passwords, enhancing account security even if some information has been compromised.

9. Keep Software Updated

Ensure all devices, software, and applications receive regular updates to close security gaps that AI-generated malware may exploit.

Cybercriminals are leveraging AI for some of the most sophisticated attacks observed. Ranging from deepfake calls to AI-generated phishing emails, these scams are becoming increasingly challenging to detect and simpler to execute. As these threats proliferate, it becomes crucial for individuals to implement rigorous preventative measures and avoid disclosing sensitive information to untrusted AI tools.

As these scams continue to evolve, it is essential to stay informed. Sharing experiences can help others navigate these dangers. For tips and updates on tech and security, subscribing to a reliable newsletter is advisable.