FTC Says AI Is Helping Amplify Warnings About Impostor Scams
Summary
- The FTC is actively combating government impostor scams, emphasizing that they will never call to demand money or threaten legal action. Increased public awareness, aided by clear warnings and resources, is helping individuals identify and avoid these scams.
- Technology, particularly AI-powered search engines and chatbots, is playing a significant role in amplifying the FTC’s warnings and providing readily accessible information to the public about scam tactics.
- Despite these efforts, imposter scams continue to be a major problem, costing billions annually. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and for individuals to independently verify any suspicious communication from purported government agencies.
Let’s get one thing clear: government agencies like the Federal Trade Commission aren’t in the business of cold-calling you to demand immediate payments or threatening legal action over the phone. Scammers, however, continue to exploit the misconception.
According to the FTC, increased public awareness about what it does and doesn’t do is making a difference in its fight against impostors, with technology playing a big role in amplifying its message.
Related
What is phishing: Types of attacks and how to prevent them
No, you are not entitled to $10,500,000 U.S. dollars from the Bank of Burundi
The government agency, which aims to promote competition and protect consumers from unfair practices, put out a consumer alert recently reiterating that it won’t explicitly ask you for money while creating a false sense of urgency (via CNET).
The agency has a dedicated ‘Anatomy of an Impostor Scam’ blog series where it breaks down how you can “recognize, avoid, and report business and government impostor scams,” alongside clear warnings across its homepage, other areas of its website, on the bio pages of FTC commissioners and officials, and more.
The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. If you have been targeted by an illegal business practice or scam, report it.
It added that its efforts to share warnings on multiple surfaces are working and making a difference, with real instances of regular individuals being able to identify and avoid these scams in real time. “I checked the FTC website and discovered the FTC will not ask you to withdraw money during an investigation,” and “I googled FTC and found out [the call about a prize was] a scam, so I am reporting it!!” are user testimonies shared by the FTC.
The agency added that AI technology (tools like Google’s AI Overviews) now allows search engines to prominently surface FTC’s impostor warnings right at the top of search results. Popular chatbots, on the other hand, also highlight that the FTC will only contact you if you’ve reported something to it, and even then, it will not demand money from you or threaten you.
Regardless of the extra steps, the agency indicated that individuals continue falling victim to fraud, with people losing over $12.5 billion in 2024 alone ($2.95 billion of that came from impostor scams). This can be attributed to scammers using more sophisticated methods of deceit. This can include leveraging AI to mimic voices, exploiting publicly available information about individuals, using high-pressure tactics with emotional manipulation, and more.
Staying vigilant of suspicious and unsolicited calls, emails, or texts from those claiming to be from a government agency is key here. If confused, contacting said agencies via official channels is the safest way of confirm the legitimacy of any contact.
Related
