As powerful as AI is, there's a real dark side to AI, too.
I was looking to buy something specific for my ham radio hobby a few weeks ago.
I received multiple emails from people purporting to have what I wanted.
The emails looked very legitimate, complete with photos of the limited edition product I wanted, with serial numbers engraved in the font I expected.
The wording of the email was right on target.
The pricing was legit, too — not too high, not too low.
Several of the sellers wanted payment via Zelle, and one via PayPal.
I used PayPal, since I knew PayPal has a buyer protection program for certain types of purchases (including this one) — and I had tied my PayPal account to a Visa account, so I would be doubly protected.
When you pay via Zelle, if something goes awry, you have no recourse.
As careful as I was to verify the seller, it was a scam.
The text was AI generated - it appears to have used copy they found online that sounded like me.
The photos — complete with the "engraving" that mimicked the font of the manufacturer — were AI generated
Thankfully, I got a full refund.
There's another scam to watch out for. It was covered by NBC's "TODAY" Show on Monday morning.
Click here to watch the video.
(I've received this one, too, but knew enough to take the steps outlined in the video to avoid being scammed.)
Bottom line:
Be wary about what you see online - and don't be surprised if your readers are equally wary of offers you send to them.
