How AI is Making it Easier for Scammers to Succeed with Social Engineering Scams

AI Is Supercharging Social Engineering Scams

Social engineering scams use psychological manipulation to trick people into handing over money or personal information. While these scams have existed for decades, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is making them more convincing, scalable, and dangerous than ever before.

How AI Is Changing the Game for Scammers:

Mass Automation: AI allows scammers to blast out thousands of phishing emails, texts, or robocalls in seconds—no technical skills required.
Personalized Targeting: Using public data from social media and online profiles, scammers can tailor messages to match someone’s habits, relationships, or interests.
Professional-Grade Phishing: Tools like ChatGPT can produce well-written, mistake-free phishing emails that mimic legitimate messages with eerie accuracy.
Easy Access: Scam-as-a-service kits powered by AI mean anyone with a credit card can launch a cyber attack—no coding knowledge needed.
Real-Time Learning: AI can adjust scam content based on what’s working, optimizing attacks for specific groups or responses.

Deepfakes: A Growing Threat

One of the most troubling AI advancements is deepfake technology—AI-generated videos or audio recordings that mimic real people’s appearance and voice.

Scammers can now appear as:

Your boss asking you to send a payment or wire transfer
A government or law enforcement official pressuring you for info
A family member asking for urgent help
A romantic partner or online friend in a fabricated video call
A celebrity promoting fake investment schemes

These videos are hyper-realistic and emotionally manipulative—especially dangerous in time-sensitive situations or when tied to money or personal safety.

Why AI Scams Are So Effective:

They’re fast: Thousands of personalized messages can be deployed instantly.
They’re scalable: One attacker can reach tens of thousands at once.
They’re convincing: Language is clean, formatting looks real, and personalization makes the message emotionally persuasive.

Explore More AI-Driven Fraud Topics

To further your understanding of how AI intersects with fraud, explore these detailed guides and examples from our education center:

AI Chat: AI chatbots can be hijacked and used to retrieve sensitive user information.
AI Deepfakes: Deepfakes are a direct application of AI in creating fake videos or audio for scams.
AI Voice Clone: Voice cloning technology is used in vishing (voice phishing) scams.
Account Monitoring: AI identifies patterns to fraudulently access accounts.
ACH & Wire Fraud: AI analyzes transactions to find vulnerabilities in payment systems.
Texting: AI-driven scams use natural language processing to deceive victims via SMS.
Social Media Investing Scams: Fake AI-generated profiles promote fraudulent investments.
Social Media ID Theft: AI scrapes social platforms to steal identities.
Email Safety: Phishing emails created by AI are harder to detect.
Data Breaches: AI can be used to execute and detect data breaches.
Passwords: AI algorithms can efficiently crack weak passwords.
Identity Privacy: AI creates synthetic identities for fraud schemes.
Email Phishing: AI customizes phishing emails to evade filters and fool users.
Spear Phishing: AI personalizes attacks using gathered data.
Investment Fraud: AI simulates market behavior to push false investment opportunities.
Ransomware: AI targets specific systems and evades detection more effectively.
Tech Support Scams: AI automates interactions in fraudulent tech support scenarios.
Internet of Things: IoT devices are vulnerable to AI-based attacks.
Social Media Phishing: Bots create fake social profiles to phish for personal info.
Email Compromise Fraud: AI improves the success of Business Email Compromise scams.
Protect Online Accounts: Learn how AI can be used to attack or safeguard accounts.
Business Data Theft Prevention: AI aids both in committing and preventing data breaches.

To help your account holders protect themselves from AI-driven fraud, it’s critical to deliver consistent, digestible education across multiple channels. Consider using short in-person trainings, video explainers, or printable guides on the following high-impact topics:

How to Report Scams – Step-by-step instructions to take action and recover.
Protect Your Kids Online – Tips for securing gaming accounts, devices, and privacy settings.
How to Scam-Proof Your Parents – Practical advice for discussing fraud with older family members.
Stay Safe When Traveling – How to secure accounts and avoid Wi-Fi-based scams abroad.
The Power of Passphrases – Why longer, memorable phrases beat complex passwords.
Spot an Impostor – How to detect fake bank, Amazon, and utility scams.
What to Do After a Data Breach – How to minimize harm and watch for identity theft.
Investment Scams and Crypto Cons – Understanding false promises and hype-driven traps.
Home Title Fraud – Can someone really steal your home? What you can do to prevent it.
Fraud Recovery 101 – Immediate next steps if you or someone you know has been scammed.
Email Phishing – Common tactics scammers use and how to recognize them.
Social Media ID Theft – How scammers mine social posts for your personal information.
Mobile Phone Safety – From SIM swapping to fake apps, what to watch for.
Deepfake & Voice Clone Fraud – What it is and why you need to question what you see or hear.
IoT and Smart Device Security – Securing smart homes and connected devices from attack.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) – How fake invoice and wire scams hit small businesses.
Online Account Protection – Strengthen account access with MFA and proactive monitoring.