Scammers are bold by AI and the possibilities it presents—to strip people who consider themselves tech-savvy. From spoofing caller IDs to creating fake people for video calling, bad actors are using the technology to fleece people of their hard-earned money.
Reddit is full of thousands of stories of people getting scammed, and Bravo's Andy Cohen even fell for a bank scam earlier this year that cost him “a lot of money” he he said on the TODAY show.
“I consider myself an intelligent and functioning member of society,” Cohen said at the time.
Billionaire Mark Cuban said it was cheated earlier this summer by someone who hacked into his Gmail account by tricking Google's recovery methods.
In July, a The woman from Connecticut went viral after having his bank account “drained” by a caller ID spoofing scam. She filmed the video outside a Wells Fargo branch.
“I felt like it was a sketch the whole time, but since it came from a Wells Fargo number, I believed it,” she said in the video.
@charlottestenz8 ‼️Scam fargo with PSA wells. #pushimafargo #fraud #why #fypage #fraud #bank camera ♬ original sound – Charlotte Stenz
“I got a call from a Wells Fargo number saying I had fraudulent activity on my account and that some random person was being sent money from Zelle,” she recalled. “They told me to go into my account and that I needed to secure my Zelle by sending money that would be returned to my account shortly after.”
And with AI, these incidents are on the rise. Here's how to avoid being scammed, with tips from Wells Fargo:
1. Ignore caller IDs and even Google searches for customer service numbers
You can no longer rely on the once good (ask your grandparents) caller ID technology. Fraudsters can easily spoof technology these days (both name and number) with minimal effort.
There were also multiple fraud reports which includes Google searches, where criminals put fake numbers in the listings of banks, airlines and other businesses. When in doubt, go to the business's website to find their number.
2. Never share private account information
A bank employee will never ask you for your PIN, password or one-time access codes, Wells Fargo notes on its website.
3. Never send a payment to “solve” a problem
Wells Fargo makes it clear that employees “will never ask you to send money to anyone — including yourself” for anything, especially the scammer's favorites: “return a transfer” or “get a refund.” .
4. Ignore and delete access codes that you have not initiated
If you receive a one-time access code to authorize a transaction you did not initiate, do not use the code, Wells Fargo warns. The bank also recommends not sharing it with anyone and deleting the unanswered text.
5. Hang up and contact the bank directly
The chances of being contacted by a bank are rare, and if at all IS by actually calling the bank, they won't be offended if you ask to call back. If the person on the phone is trying to get you to stay on the line or press you for information, hang up and call the number on the back of your card or go to a branch.