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According to a recent report by McAfee India, there has been a significant increase in deepfake deceit, fake dating apps, and AI-powered fraud, placing people looking for love at risk of suffering both financial and emotional losses.
AI-powered scams are making online dating riskier than ever.
Valentine’s Day brings romance, but it has also increased online scams. McAfee India’s new research shows a rise in AI powered romance scams, fake dating apps and deepfake tricks. These scams make it difficult to distinguish between real connections and digital fraud. The study reveals that 61% of people think they could fall for an AI chatbot and 51% admit either they or someone they know has been approached by a chatbot pretending to be a real person on dating platforms or social media. Around 38% of people think that getting emotionally attached to AI bots can make them easier targets for scams.
According to Firstpost, along with the dating apps, many Indians also try to find love on social media. Instagram leads with 85% of users, followed by WhatsApp at 55%, Telegram at 50% and Snapchat at 46%. Among dating apps, Tinder is the most popular with 61% of users, followed by Facebook Dating, Bumble and Match.
Maggie K, a 25-year-old computer programmer, believed she had found love online, as was talking daily with someone she trusted. But when they were supposed to meet, he didn’t show up, claiming he missed his flight and asked for money to book another flight. As she wanted to see him, Maggie sent the money, but then he disappeared. His accounts were deleted, as if he wasn’t real.
She told McAfee, “I ignored my gut feeling, I sent him $1200. Then he disappeared. When I reported the scam, the police told me his images were AI generated. He wasn’t even a real person. That was the scariest part, I had trusted someone who never even existed.”
Speaking about dating scams, Steve Grobman, McAfee’s Chief Technology Officer said, “Unfortunately, we know cyber criminals also use AI to scale malicious activity. With love-seekers spending more time online leading up to Valentine’s Day, scammers are using AI to pose as love interests to steal your money or personal information. We encourage people to balance romantic hope with healthy skepticism, to pause before sharing sensitive information online, and to ensure they use the right tools to protect their privacy, identity, and personal information.”
As per reports, 70% feel pressured to send gifts or money. Scammers are also pretending to be celebrities, as 42% of people have fallen victim to this scam. Almost half of the individuals lost money and 48% claim their personal details were stolen.
