Chatbots keep evolving, and not always with best intentions. Website pop-ups are evolving as AI evolves: those old pop-ups containing a link or a linked button are becoming more sophisticated…and sneaky.

Imagine visiting a website and a pop-up message appears “informing” you that your computer is infected with a virus, instructing you to click a link to “fix” the issue. In older versions of this scam, you might simply be redirected to a website loaded with malware and even a particularly nasty virus. This newer iteration pop-up has you click a link (and sometimes lists a phone number to call) that connects you to a chatbot or to a bogus “support” person. Either way the goal is to gain full remote access to your computer, along with all of your information: financial information, passwords, even your web browsing history. These fraudsters might also install malware or even persuade you to purchase useless software, maintenance or warranty programs.

Now, with the advancement and improvements in AI, foreign scammers with limited English language skills can use AI to create more convincing and seemingly legitimate emails and texts in an attempt to prove they’re sincere. These scammers are also using AI to compile information about you by scraping your social media and other online info about you in order to compose more personal emails and texts, making you believe that they are genuinely interested in helping you — but of course they really only want to help themselves to your data and your bank account. Another task that criminals use AI for: analyzing data culled from online searches of the names of people seeking tech support — all the better to locate fresh new victims.

How you can protect yourself from chatbot scams

Legitimate tech companies will never contact you about issues with your computer. Also, their pop-ups will never suggest that you call them or click a link. If you are having problems with your computer or having issues with software, it’s best to go directly to the website of the computer manufacturer or the software company and locate their tech support information, which may require you to file a ticket or call them directly. If you receive a random call from anyone claiming to be “tech support,” it’s likely a scam. Never click a link or button on any pop-up, share a password or PIN — and definitely never allow an unexpected caller to have remote access to your computer.

More Information on chatbot and AI scams

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