Digital imposter scams are on the rise with reports of job and employment scams tripling between 2020 and 2024, while actual losses faced by victims have risen from 90mto500m, according to the US Federal Trade Commission.
Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to construct fake personas, often using AI-generated images and videos to trick would-be victims.
In response, some professionals are taking unusual steps to verify the identities of people they meet online, including asking for selfies or making unusual requests to verify the person’s identity.
Jessica Eise, an assistant professor of climate change and social behaviour at Indiana University, said her research team has had to become digital forensics experts to avoid scammers responding to ads for paid virtual surveys.
In an age of increasing deepfakes, old-fashioned social engineering techniques are proving to be one of the most effective ways of determining whether someone is who they say they are.
