Illinois Warns Artificial Intelligence Could Steal Your Identity

Illinois has issued a warning and it involves how artificial intelligence is now being used to make it easier for perpetrators to steal your identity and the threat is real and it's growing.

I received a press release from the Illinois Secretary of State which was a warning about how new AI technology is being used to gain access to almost every aspect of your life.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) has made it more difficult for people to determine if requests coming from an email, text, phone call or even a video message are legitimate,” Giannoulias said. “Voice cloning and deepfake videos, used to fraudulently gain access and trust, are becoming more prevalent. Our Securities Department has been tasked with educating and protecting investors against these advanced scam attempts.”

Here are some examples of how artificial intelligence can be utilized to steal your money, your credit and even your identity:

• If you have posted videos on social media where you speak, artificial intelligence routines can scan your voice and convert it into phrases that can be used to contact your bank and request access to your account.
• Criminals are using artificial intelligence to craft investment opportunities that can deceive even the more savvy user into sending funds and/or information which can then be used to leverage even greater thefts.

We're entering a new era when technology can be a great tool or our worst enemy. It's important to be careful what you share on social media whether that be personal family information, your pictures and your voice. You never know when artificial intelligence might be used to turn it all against you in the worst way possible.