AI bots are increasingly being used to waste scammers’ time

In short: More anti-cybercrime groups are using AI chatbots to pose as real victims and keep scammers talking.

What's going on

Some organizations are turning the tables on online scammers by using AI powered bots that sound like real people. These bots can answer messages, ask questions, and act interested, so criminals think they have found an easy target.

The goal is to “scam the scammers.” Instead of stopping at one warning message, the bot keeps the conversation going, like a decoy wallet that looks full but is meant to catch a pickpocket. While the scammer is busy, the group running the bot can collect details such as payment requests, account names, links, and other clues that may help investigators.

This approach is showing up more often because AI chatbots have become better at natural back and forth conversation. In practice, that means a scammer may spend longer trying to pressure a bot into sending money or personal information, without realizing there is no real person on the other end.

What to watch

These tactics could push criminals to change how they screen potential victims, for example by demanding voice calls or quick proof that a person is real. People should still be cautious, because the same AI tools that can waste a scammer’s time can also be used by criminals to impersonate real people at scale (like running many phone lines at once).

Source: Wired