"Romance scams used to feel like a cliché. Everyone pictured an email from an overseas "prince" that was poorly written and full of typos and pleas for cash. Now, that cliché is dead. Today's romance scams are industrial-scale operations. Attackers use artificial intelligence to clone voices, create deepfake video calls, and write scripts with large language models (LLMs). In 2024 alone, the Federal Trade Commission reported that financial losses to romance scams skyrocketed, with victims losing $1.14 billion."
"The real number, hidden by shame and silence, is likely triple that. Romance scams aren't just a tragedy for the victims. A successful scam is a massive risk for businesses, too. When an employee with access to sensitive data or funds is compromised, the "heartbreak hack" can harm an entire organization. What Today's Romance Scams Look Like Phase 1: Contact. Romance scams often start on dating apps-but they're also prevalent on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn -with a seemingly innocent message."
"These scams aren't necessarily about love; they're about establishing trust. For example: "Is this Alex? We met at the conference last week," or "Sorry, wrong number, but your profile photo is lovely." The goal is to continue the conversation on an encrypted app, such as Telegram or WhatsApp, where traditional security measures can't monitor conversations. Once contact is established, the manipulation becomes emotional."
Romance scams have evolved from clichéd overseas 'prince' emails into industrial-scale operations that leverage advanced AI tools. Attackers employ voice cloning, deepfake video calls, and LLM-generated scripts to fabricate believable relationships and interactions. Reported financial losses reached $1.14 billion in 2024, with actual losses likely much higher due to underreporting driven by shame and silence. Compromised employees with access to sensitive data or funds can expose entire organizations to significant operational and financial harm. Scammers initiate contact on dating apps and social platforms, then move conversations to encrypted apps like Telegram or WhatsApp to avoid detection and apply emotional manipulation once trust is established.
Read at Fast Company
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