Local Sheriff Warns Advanced AI Is Being Used By Scammers, Offers Tips To Keep From Getting Conned

(KNSI) – A local sheriff is warning central Minnesotans about how cutting-edge technology, such as artificial intelligence, could be used to wipe away someone’s life savings.

Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck told KNSI News AI offers crooks new ways to target residents. “We think it’s important to make sure that all of our citizens are aware of the ever-changing landscape out there when it comes to criminals using electronic means, and using the internet, and these tools that we have at our disposal every day to defraud people.”

Officials say AI has brought the problem of fictitious images and video to a new level. Many are concerned about how AI can alter the perception of what is real or deceive people into believing false claims surrounding weighty topics like world events or politics. Scammers have tricked finance managers in businesses into making
money transfers to criminals using faked video calls that appear to be from the company’s CEO. AI can also be used to make falsified images.

One fear is scammers will search social media for videos of people and copy their voices to convince someone that their relative needs money or that they owe money. Heck advises that if you get an unexpected call or message, you need to verify that the person is who they say they are. “If it’s somebody that’s claiming to be from the power company or law enforcement, find out who they’re claiming to represent. Find a number that you can talk to somebody on the phone on your own, and call that company, or that entity and ask if this is really legitimate contact.”

If it sounds like a family member claims to be in Mexico, call another family member to verify. Heck hasn’t seen anything like this happen locally yet, but he figures it’s on the way because other officers are seeing it in other parts of the country.

For more crime prevention and safety information, visit the Benton County Sheriff’s Office website.

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