Cybersecurity specialist Chester Wisniewski says scams are becoming more sophisticated with AI and are increasingly targeting victims through social media, messages, email and calls.
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Cybersecurity experts warn that artificial intelligence is helping fraud schemes become faster and more sophisticated, making them harder to detect.
Chester Wisniewski, a cybersecurity specialist at Sophos, said, “With AI powering these scams, it’s just like rocket fuel, making them faster and more sophisticated,” adding, “We don’t see hardly any of these poorly crafted scams anymore.”
Wisniewski, who said he has 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, said scammers are targeting people through social media platforms, text messages, emails, voice cloning and phone calls.
He said the most alarming element is how easily criminals can steal personal information. “They are just breaking in and stealing databases. Hundreds of millions of records are stolen every week from hacked websites where many of us have shopped or done business with,” Wisniewski told Consumer Matters.
To reduce the risk, Wisniewski said it helps to be cautious about unsolicited contact, including requests for personal credentials. He recommended avoiding people who reach out asking for sensitive information.
Wisniewski also advised a phone-call rule: “If you got a phone call from your bank, be suspicious. Hang up and call the bank back, verify it’s your bank.” He said the same verification approach should be used more broadly, especially when a transaction or password is involved.
He said, “Anytime something involves a financial transaction or a password, you need to have initiated the transaction; never allow someone else to initiate it.”
Wisniewski said protecting email accounts and using strong password tools are important defences. He recommended password managers to generate complex, unique passwords or passkeys.
He also explained that passkeys confirm identity using facial recognition or a fingerprint to access accounts, and he said people should not expect their information to never be stolen, adding, “Unfortunately, we have to share our information with many organizations and a large percentage of them get broken into.”
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