SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Many people use artificial intelligence (AI) to make their lives easier. However, some of those people also include scammers who are trying to steal your information. South Dakota’s Better Business Bureau vice president, Jessie Schmidt, says AI is making it easier for scammers to create fake websites to your favorite stores.
“You think of the organizations that you use frequently, Amazon, PayPal. Very often, they are victims of scammers as well that impersonate them,” Schmidt said.
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Schmidt says AI is not only making it easier for scammers, but also faster for them to make a quick dollar.
“Where it used to take a scammer a couple days to build a website, it can be done in a couple of hours. It can have all the safety mechanisms that you find on a regular website. So you think, ‘oh great, this is a very secure online site. My purchases are safe or this is safe to invest online,'” Schmidt said.
Some precautions users can take to help identify a fake website are look at the spelling of the URL, don’t fall for extreme pressure tactics like “limited-time” deals and check the customer reviews.
Schmidt says even if the website looks legit, everyone should do a double-take before they click the checkout button.
“They’ve got all the right credentials, all the right logos. They’re linked to all the right security sites. But the reality is it may not be true,” Schmidt said.
According to the BBB Amazon, PayPal and Spectrum are top of the list of websites scammers impersonate. Another tip to help protect your information is using a credit card when shopping online instead of a debit card.
