Valentine’s week is going on. This week it is raining not only love but also scams. McAfee has done a research regarding this type of scam and has shared its information. MSI-ACI has conducted research regarding online dating trends, in which 7000 adults from 7 countries participated.
According to this research, scammers are using AI generated fake profiles, romance scams and other AI tools. With their help, scammers are luring people looking for online partners. Scammers are targeting not only people looking for partners but also those looking for gifts.
Beware of Valentine’s Day Scams
Even if you are not using dating apps McAfee Labs Has issued a warning for you. According to the company, Valentine related scams are increasing online. On this occasion, the propagation of malware has increased by 25 percent, while the number of malicious URLs has increased by 300 percent.
Apart from this, the number of romance themed spam and email scams has increased by 400 percent. Most scams are targeting people shopping and looking for gifts for Valentine’s Day. McAfee Labs has speculated that their number will continue to increase till February 14.
What does the report say?
According to McAfee’s report, 77 percent of Indians who participated in the research have reported about fake profiles or AI generated photos on social media or dating platforms. Apart from this, 39 percent of users have become victims of romantic scams, while 26 percent of people have unknowingly interacted with AI bots.
All these figures show the vulnerability and risk of fraud present in online dating. However, despite this risk, many Indians have admitted that they have been using AI to find partners online. 65 percent of Indians who participated in the research accepted this.
He told that they are using AI like ChatGPT to create content for dating apps. In this, 56 percent people are composing messages with the help of AI on Valentine’s Day. 60 percent of the people who participated in the research showed their uneasiness regarding AI generated messages.
How can you escape?
Anyone can be a victim of this type of scam. For this you have to keep some things in mind. If you have recently become friends with someone online, do not click on the links sent by him. If you have doubts about any picture, then do a reverse search, so that you can know the whole story of that picture.
If you have not met a person, then do not waste money in buying a gift for him. If you feel suspicious about any profile or person, then talk to your friends about it. You can use many online tools to keep yourself safe. McAfee Scam Protection is one such product.