Warning: Asset misappropriation scams in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In the era of Artificial Intelligence, seeing a familiar face on a video call or hearing a recognizable voice over the phone is no longer a guarantee of authenticity. Today, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology can recreate human images, voices, and behaviors with astonishing accuracy, making the boundary between real and fake harder to distinguish than ever before.

Practice shows that some subjects use AI to build asset misappropriation scam scenarios with increasingly unpredictable levels of sophistication. Therefore, identifying criminal methods and tricks is of great significance in the prevention and combat of this crime.

1. The transformation of fraudulent behavior in the new technological environment:

Recently, crimes using high technology to scam and misappropriate property have occurred more frequently with complex developments.

Unlike traditional forms of scams, criminals using AI have the ability to "disguise" and "confuse the genuine with the fake". From just a few images and videos publicly posted on social networks, AI technology can recreate an individual's face, voice, gestures, and demeanor with astonishing realism.

Worryingly, AI-generated content is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. In many cases, even after multiple viewings, users still cannot detect unusual signs in images or videos circulated online. This very "cognitive deception" capability has made AI a tool exploited by criminals to build sophisticated, organized scam scenarios on an increasingly large scale.

2. Identifying methods and tricks of asset misappropriation scams via AI:

First, impersonating the identities of relatives, acquaintances, or individuals from State agencies

Subjects take advantage of the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deepfake technology through phone calls and messages to impersonate close relatives and acquaintances, making victims trust them and follow the scammers' requests. The targeted subjects are usually the elderly or those with little understanding of legal regulations.

A common scenario is that the subject calls, texts, or makes video calls to the victim's relatives, announcing that they urgently need money, have had a traffic accident, are being held at a hospital, or need an urgent money transfer to resolve an issue. Because of the realistic voice, face, and urgent situation, many people hastily transfer money without taking the time to verify the information.

In addition, offenders also impersonate people in authority or those with a certain role in society or in a relationship with the victim to create trust, such as police officers, civil servants, teachers, bank employees, telecommunications/electricity/water service providers, etc. Then, they fabricate a serious story to inform the victim that they are involved in an incident and demand: debt payment, missing invoices, threats of involvement in a complex criminal case, verification money transfer,... This is a form of asset misappropriation scam combined with psychological manipulation, exploiting the victim's fear.

Second, using fake identities to approach victims and build long-term romantic relationships to establish trust before committing asset misappropriation.

Usually, subjects create social network accounts with attractive images, introducing themselves as successful businessmen, engineers working abroad, military officers, or international doctors. After making friends, the subject proactively chats regularly, pays attention to the victim's personal life, gradually building a sense of intimacy, even expressing affection or promising marriage.

Once the relationship reaches a sufficient level of trust, the subject starts presenting situations such as financial difficulties, needing money for customs clearance, sending gifts to Vietnam, paying shipping fees, or taxes. Notably, with the support of artificial intelligence technology, subjects can use fake images, videos, or video calls featuring a bright appearance to increase the credibility of their fake identity. In many cases, victims only realize they have been scammed after transferring a large amount of money and having all contact cut off by the subject.

This trick is extremely dangerous because it not only causes property damage but also strongly impacts the victim's psychology, especially singles, the elderly, or those seeking romantic relationships on social networks.