Warning over surge in ‘romance’ scams in South Africa – with criminals using new tools

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Security experts urge South Africans to stay alert for increasingly sophisticated love-based phishing and romance scams.

Security experts are warning that the rise of AI and AI-powered assistants like ChatGPT have allowed scammers to up the ante in their fraudulent activity – particularly those that target lonely hearts looking for love.

It is estimated that hundreds of millions of people use online dating platforms, and almost five billion people use social media. Unfortunately, these platforms have become rich hunting grounds for scammers. Nazia Karrim, Head of Product Development at the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service said that it is important to note that romance scams are not the only way people are being swindled out of their money, with SAFPS noticing that romance scams are increasingly used as a gateway to run other scams.

– Persistent excuses for being unable to meet in person, along with a reluctance to engage in phone or video calls.Unsolicited investment advice– Seeking urgent financial assistance under the pretense of a medical emergency, accident, arrest, or other unforeseen events, often accompanied by a plausible explanation for their inability to access their funds.

“Scammers often steal other people’s profile pictures, so a reverse image search may indicate whether the new contact is who they say they are,” he added.Fortinet said that while technology is a major contributor to the issue, it can also help solve the problem.

 

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