With Valentine's Day fast approaching, the ABA is warning Aussies to guard their hearts-and their bank accounts-as scammers ramp-up the use of artificial intelligence and deepfakes to steal money.
According to ScamWatch, last year Australians reported over 3,200 romance scams with losses amounting to almost $24 million.
Romance scam red flags:
- very professional and flawless looking photos, or limited information and inconsistent details on profiles
- vague and repetitive answers could indicate you're chatting to a chatbot
- quick attempts to move your chat from a dating platform to a messaging platform such as WhatsApp
- requests to transfer money, often urgently and accompanied with emotional stories
- attempts to convince you to invest in schemes, often with cryptocurrency.
ABA CEO Anna Bligh said the use of AI and deepfake technology was making it more difficult for Australians to cotton on to online dating and romance scams.
"The online dating world has changed the game in the chase for love. However, it's also become a scammer's paradise," Ms Bligh said.
"AI is very much a double-edged sword. It can be used perfectly legitimately to enhance a dating profile, on the other hand, it can also be used to deceive and manipulate those looking for love.
"Scammers don't just send dodgy DMs to lure victims anymore -they deploy AI and deepfake technology to create fake profiles and identities.
"These scams are becoming more sophisticated, with artificially generated fake profiles and chatbots making fake love look like the real deal.
"Dating scams are the lowest of the low. Scammers prey on Australians looking for love and turn romance into heartbreak.
"People don't just lose money - they suffer deep emotional trauma, thinking they've found love only to realise they are being swindled.
"If something feels too good to be true and you're starting to sense red flags, don't ignore it - either do some digging or walk away before you lose more than just your heart.
"Never share financial information or send money to someone you haven't met in person and report suspicious activity if you have been targeted."
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