SCAMMERS ARE UPPING THEIR GAME, USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MORE

Published on January 22, 2025

YCSO Fraud Investigator Ron Norfleet is putting out another urgent warning to local residents:  scammers are getting more sophisticated in their methods aimed at stealing your money! 

With Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Norfleet says the scammer can make things that are not true look and sound like they are absolutely real. And if you fall for it, you have a lot to lose. In one recent case in the Prescott area, Norfleet said he was contacted by a woman who said her mother had lost her home to an A.I.-assisted scam. The victim was convinced that the famous singer Elton John had fallen in love with her, and desired marriage. The scammer used phony media (e.g. doctored photos or video) to help the con seem real, and when it was over, had stolen the victim's life savings.

While there are many other similar scam stories using sophisticated A.I. methods currently circulating the globe, it doesn't need to be a Hollywood production to accomplish its purpose. Norfleet says scammers can "spoof" things like the name and phone number that appear on your caller ID to convince you it's a call from a legitimate local friend, law enforcement agency, retailer, bank, or charitable organization. YCSO itself has been used by scammers on caller IDs to convince people it's real law enforcement threatening them with arrest if they don't send payment right now for some phony old unpaid fine or some court warrant (we never call anyone and ask for money...it's always a scam).

Another scam shows a real banking institution on the caller ID, with the scammer telling the victim that their bank account has been compromised, and they need to give the caller their PIN and password (no bank will ever call and ask for that information...it's always a scam). 

In addition, Norfleet says social media sites like Facebook have become fertile ground for scammers using A.I. to deceive people into handing over their money to some phony charitable cause (like pretending to be the victims of the recent wildfire disaster in southern California) or to defraud someone by pretending to be a true romantic interest (the "Sweetheart" scam...Arizona is #1 in the U.S. for such frauds). 

Norfleet says the bottom line is this:  NEVER let the scammer play on your emotions (fear and panic, need for love and companionship, etc). He urges residents to let calls from unfamiliar numbers go to voicemail, never click on links or attachments in text messages or emails, never call phone numbers provided by the scammer, and to always investigate and verify for yourself the information the caller is giving you. He says to "slow down, take your time, and find out if it's real."

Please report any scam activity to YCSO Fraud Investigations at (928) 771-3299.