by Chris Durst Feb. 8, 2024
In the ever-evolving landscape of remote work opportunities, scammers are taking advantage of advanced technology to deceive unsuspecting job seekers.
One of the latest tactics involves the use of AI chatbots to develop and execute elaborate work from home job scams. As the demand for remote work continues to surge, it’s crucial that jobseekers stay vigilant and informed about the risks posed by these AI-assisted schemes.
AI chatbots have become increasingly sophisticated, capable of mimicking human conversation with remarkable accuracy. With so many overseas con artists fixing their crosshairs on US citizens, they are leveraging this technology to create convincing personas that — in written communications — can easily pass for Americans. That impeccable English, when used in combination with the charade of being recruiters from real US-based companies (right down to the use of corporate logos, borrowed executive names, and email addresses designed to approximate the actual company domain), these imposters are convincing enough to fool many job seekers they are the real deal.
I just looked into a new reshipping scam that appears to be using IA to their advantage. In the following video, you’ll see that the leveraged technology to build a professional looking website and even create a convincing explainer video to describe their “Package Genius” job.
Here’s a video showing a more sophisticated, AI-upgraded approach to Reshipping Scams:
If you have questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section of the YouTube-based video.
Be aware of the other ways scammers are leveraging AI to build more convincing cons.
Resume Harvesting
Scammers, posing as corporate recruiters, can access resume databases and use resume harvesting technology to find the email addresses for their preferred victim types.
For example, in the recent KODAK scam we uncovered the scammers were specifically targeting people with tech support experience.
Fake Job Interviews
Many of these AI-assisted scams are conducting text-based, chat style interviews and using chatbots to ask scripted questions and provide generic responses. These interviews may seem legitimate at first glance, but discerning applicants may notice inconsistencies or unusual behavior that betray the bot’s artificial nature.
Phony Job Offers
After the fake interview process, scammers deploy AI chatbots to deliver fake job offers via email or messaging platforms like Microsoft Teams, Telegram, Session, WhatsApp, Signal, and others. These offers often promise lucrative salaries, flexible hours, and other enticing benefits to lure victims into accepting the position without suspicion.
Personal Data Harvesting
In most cases, AI chatbots are programmed to collect sensitive personal information from job seekers under the pretext of background checks, payroll setup, or onboarding procedures. This data can then be used for identity theft, financial fraud, or sold on the dark web to other malicious actors.
Malicious Downloads
Scammers posing as legitimate companies and making job offers to their victims will sometimes instruct people to download malicious software or remote access software in order to extract sensitive information from the victim’s computer. Again, this information can then be used for identity theft, financial fraud, or sold on the dark web to other malicious actors.
Protecting Yourself:
As the number of AI-driven job scams continues to grow, it’s essential to exercise caution and due diligence when exploring remote work opportunities. Be wary of unsolicited job offers, conduct thorough research on prospective employers, and never provide personal or financial information to unknown entities. And, if you’re ever unsure, drop us a note — we’re happy to take a look at questionable offers.
By staying informed and vigilant, you can safeguard yourself against falling victim to solely human and human-AI work from home job scams.
Stay safe and informed in your remote job search journey – be sure to take our free online course to learn techniques for finding REAL remote jobs in ways that rarely lead to scams.
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