- There has been an increase in AI-related romance fraud
- 17% of people think someone they know has been contacted by an AI -Chatbot on dating -Apps or social media
- Almost half of the British people believe it is possible to develop feelings for an AI -Chatbot
Valentine’s Day may be approaching fast (it’s this Friday, in case you wondered), but for singletons it already has hell landscape in the online dating world an added tech-driven nightmare they have to look for. Instead of just being a Timewaster, it is very possible that the person you have flirted with online may not even be human.
According to new research from McAfee, there has been an alarming increase in AI-driven romance fraud. Almost 17% of people (about one in five) say someone they know has been contacted by an AI -Chatbot that makes up a real person on a dating app or social media.
“Technology has revolutionized communication by enabling immediate connections across the globe, promoting deeper conditions and cooperation regardless of physical distance – but unfortunately it also transforms the way scammers work,” said Vonny Gamot, head of EMEA at McAfee.
Love is a battlefield
It seems that even people who work in cyber security to live can become a victim of AI romantic fraud. Take Rob S, a cybersecurity -professional who thought he had made a connection with someone: “We met in a group chat and really hit it. After exchanging numbers, we started to text and get to know each other. “
His suspicion was raised when his potential romantic partner began praying for money: “When she asked for more money, I began to notice the red flags. Her messages were repeated, her number did not make sense to her location, and I realized that I might have talked to a bot – or at least a scammer. “
“Looking back, many of her messages were generic and didn’t feel personal. That’s when it hit me – there was a real chance I didn’t even talk to a person. “
One in two British people could fall for an AI
According to the McAfee survey, almost half (46%) of the British people believe that it is possible to develop romantic feelings for an AI chatbot.
With this in mind, McAfee has a few tips on how to stay in safety when looking for love online this valentine’s day:
First, if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably. Red subjects are: People who avoid video calls, move conversations off-platform quickly or declare love too early.
Be sure to confirm the person’s identity as soon as you can. Make a reverse image search on their profile picture and check on social media activity to confirm that they are real.
Remember, scammers will use small details like your birthday or pet name to guess passwords, so be vigilant. Never send money or gifts.
Finally, if you have an AI -PC, you can take advantage of McAfee Deepfake Detector to warn you about Deepfake sounds in videos.
