ExpressVPN privacy advocate warns of AI scams on Prime Day

Lauren Hendry Parsons, a Privacy Advocate at ExpressVPN, has highlighted an increasing risk associated with Amazon Prime Day, particularly concerning the rise of scams facilitated by advancements in AI technology.

"Amazon Prime Day is the perfect time to grab items from your Wishlist at a bargain price; however, it also creates an opportunity for scammers to operate. Shoppers must remain vigilant while taking advantage of these deals," Parsons said.

She noted that the significant improvements in AI tools have enabled the creation of highly realistic videos and images, making it difficult for shoppers to discern genuine products from counterfeit ones. "While we've seen false adverts, and deepfake images and videos before, the recent advancements of AI tools combined with their ease of access have meant incredibly realistic videos and images can now be created that look like near-identical versions of the real thing," she added.

Parsons offered several tips to help consumers identify whether a product, review, or email has been generated by AI and thus likely fraudulent:

Firstly, she advised checking the URL of the website. "If the Amazon website you are viewing does not have the URL Amazon.co.uk and has a strange looking URL with lots of pop-up ads appearing, or links to a similar site, then it is also likely to be a fake," Parsons explained. She warned that some fake websites are designed to closely mimic legitimate sites using familiar logos, stolen images, and misleading URLs.

She also cautioned against "unbelievable deals," which are commonly used in scams. "Scams typically offer luxury items at a fraction of the usual cost. These deals usually come as limited-time offers to pressure shoppers into making quick, impulse decisions," she said. Fake adverts often use persuasive language, false endorsements, and fabricated customer reviews to gain users' trust.

Additionally, Parsons highlighted that despite the improvements in AI text generation, certain errors are still prevalent. "People should look out for simple errors, whether they be spelling mistakes or unusual phrases, or a tone of voice that you don't see in a typical advert. This might alert you to the fact that the advert is in fact a scam and has been created by a computer to mimic a real brand," she advised.

For those who suspect they have fallen victim to a scam, Parsons recommended immediate steps to mitigate the damage:

"Contact your bank. Call your bank or credit card provider's fraud number immediately and report that a scam has taken place. If a third-party payment application was involved, such as PayPal, contact them immediately too – this will increase the chances of the money being returned to you," she said.

She also advised changing passwords if any account information was entered into a fake site: "Change the passwords of the accounts concerned as soon as possible and enable two-factor authentication to ensure no one else can access these accounts."

Finally, filing a police report was highlighted as a key step. "Not only will this increase the chances of the scammers being caught, but your bank or credit card provider will likely want to see a copy of the report before paying back the relevant amount," Parsons concluded.