American Opinion: Be vigilant as scams increase with season – Grand Forks Herald

Unfortunately, ’tis the season for more than just family, friends and happiness. It is also the time when there is a rise in fraud and financial scams.

And artificial intelligence makes it harder for people to recognize that it’s a scam.

A 2023 study by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Center found that scams have been increasing rapidly. And Minnesotans lost $94 million last year, making us the 18th most defrauded state in the country.

This year, about three-quarters of U.S. consumers said they were likely to purchase holiday gifts only through online retailers, exposing them to a variety of fraudsters and fraudsters. But even when the holiday season is over, growing online threats will continue.

In 2023, the FBI received a record number of complaints from Americans: 880,428 complaints with potential losses of over $12.5 billion.

Crimes have increased rapidly. The number of investment scams alone has increased by almost 40% in the past year, with fraudsters losing approximately $4.6 billion.

To make matters worse for victims, financial institutions generally do not reimburse their customers for approving transfers to scammers.

Now the rapidly growing world of AI is making it easier for scammers and harder for potential victims to spot warning signs that something might be a scam. AI can ensure that you listen to a voice that sounds exactly like your grandchild or child. AI can exploit images, create fake porn photos and videos of teenagers or others and threaten to send them to all their friends and relatives if they don’t pay.

And the number of other AI-powered potential scams is increasing, often leading you to believe that you are receiving messages from a trusted online shopping site or your bank or from the local police.

Even for the most skeptical consumer, it is difficult to recognize when a scam is imminent.

The Better Business Bureau recommends a few things to help you protect yourself:

Check out websites before making a purchase.
Look for contact information and be careful if the site doesn’t have a US or Canadian phone number or doesn’t use a Gmail or Yahoo business email address.
Write down what you ordered.
Check online reviews.
Pay with a credit card as this often offers better protection against fraud than other payment methods.

And of course, you should not open unsolicited emails, click on links, or scan the QR codes in these emails. The agency also recommends securing bank and credit accounts with strong and different passwords, securing all other accounts that contain valuables, staying away from untrustworthy websites, and exercising general caution and vigilance.

And enter your number on the national Do-Not-Call registry. To do so, go to donotcall.gov or call (888) 382-1222.

These are good tips that remind us all of the importance of upgrading our computer/phone usage and being more cautious and skeptical.

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