FBI Warns of AI-Assisted Phishing Campaigns

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) San Francisco division warns that threat actors are increasingly using AI tools to improve their social engineering attacks.

“AI provides augmented and enhanced capabilities to schemes that attackers already use and increases cyber-attack speed, scale, and automation,” the FBI says.

“Cybercriminals are leveraging publicly available and custom-made AI tools to orchestrate highly targeted phishing campaigns, exploiting the trust of individuals and organizations alike. These AI-driven phishing attacks are characterized by their ability to craft convincing messages tailored to specific recipients and containing proper grammar and spelling, increasing the likelihood of successful deception and data theft."

Attackers are exploiting AI tools to create deepfakes that convincingly impersonate real people.

“In addition to traditional phishing tactics, malicious actors increasingly employ AI-powered voice and video cloning techniques to impersonate trusted individuals, such as family members, co-workers, or business partners,” the FBI says. “By manipulating and creating audio and visual content with unprecedented realism, these adversaries seek to deceive unsuspecting victims into divulging sensitive information or authorizing fraudulent transactions.”

The Bureau offers the following advice to help users avoid falling for these scams:

• “Stay Vigilant: Be aware of urgent messages asking for money or credentials. Businesses should explore various technical solutions to reduce the number of phishing and social engineering emails and text messages that make their way to their employees. Additionally, businesses should combine this technology with regular employee education and employees about the dangers of phishing and social engineering attacks and the importance of verifying the authenticity of digital communications, especially those requesting sensitive information or financial transactions.
• Implement Multi-Factor Authentication: Utilize multi-factor authentication solutions to add extra layers of security, making it more difficult for cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to accounts and systems.”

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The FBI has the story.