Every February 14th, millions of couples around the world celebrate this special occasion as a symbol of their love for each other.

On this enchanting day, the very air transforms into a symphony of romance, as the world is bathed in the soft glow of love and admiration.

Business opportunities open up on Valentine's Day.

Chocolate shops, gift stores, restaurants, and flower shops eagerly anticipate a boost in sales on this special day.

However, it is not only business owners who eagerly await this occasion; opportunistic individuals, particularly love scammers, patiently await the vulnerability of people's hearts during this special day.

In an exclusive interview with Manila Bulletin, Jocel De Guzman, co-founder of Scam Watch Pilipinas—the national citizen arm of the Philippine government educating Filipinos against cyber fraud— explained the role of artificial technology (AI) in love scams.

"'Yung nakakatakot kasi ngayon sa love scam, pwede na nito gayahin 'yung mukha mo (victim) (That's what's scary about love scams nowadays, they can already mimic your face)," De Guzman said.

He explained that this technology is called "deep fake" --- a type of AI that is used for creating convincing images, audio, and video hoaxes.

"Some individuals manipulate images by changing clothing and extracting faces from public posts, they then use these faces to create deceptive content," De Guzman explained in a mix of English and Filipino.

Meanwhile, according to ACG-Cyber Security Bulletin NR 189: Understanding of Deepfake Threat Technology, the mentioned technology is not illegal unless perpetrators use it for illicit cyber activities.

AI generates a random number

In addition to deep fake, De Guzman emphasized that AI technology can also generate random numbers, exposing individuals to harassment by scammers.

De Guzman explained that for example, the code may be placed in one column, and all numbers—regardless of whether there's a person associated with them or not—will receive calls or messages.

"If you respond, you'll be categorized in another column as active," he explained.

"Even if you block the number that called or messaged you, a different number will send you messages," he added.

Since October 2023, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has received 15,000 cybercrime complaints, including those related to love scams, confirming the prevalence of such incidents.

However, these numbers do not reflect the total occurrences of scams, as victims often feel embarrassed and choose not to report the crime.

Numerous cases of love scams are currently going unreported, leading to a lack of official records on the extent of this issue.

That's why the CICC, an affiliated agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), encourages the public to report cyber-related crimes to its hotline: "1326" to apprehend those responsible.

More sophisticated scammers

Meanwhile, Art Samaniego, Manila Bulletin’s Technology Editor and Information and Communications Technology head highlighted that another use of AI technology is its role in advancing the sophistication of scammers' tactics.

"Before, if the sender of an email or message had incorrect grammar, it automatically signaled that it was a scam," Samaniego said.

"Now, because of AI, you can see how skilled they are at writing. So, they can use AI to create fake emails, encouraging us to respond," Samaniego added.

More realistic scam websites

Moreover, Samaniego, who is also a co-founder of Scam Watch Pilipinas underscored that the mimicking skills of scammers have leveled up.

"You can see the sophistication of the websites, making them seem really authentic," Samaniego said.

He then advised the public that "If you (public) come across a website like that, check the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or look at the website address. If it claims to be from a bank, but the address doesn't match a legitimate bank, avoid that website."

Educating public

Furthermore, De Guzman emphasized the importance of public awareness, specifically regarding love scam tactics.

"The problem now lies in our education; there are so many scams," De Guzman said.

"What Scam Watch Pilipinas is doing is bringing it back to attitude—how you take precautions outside, you should also be cautious online," he added.

De Guzman then emphasized the change when it comes to cyber hygiene for the public.

"Even with AI, if you're doubtful, if you're not easily trusting, you're safe when someone approaches you asking for money, and you don't give it without careful consideration," he explained.

On January 30, the CICC, in collaboration with Scam Watch Pilipinas and other private institutions, launched the "Unmatch" campaign to counteract love scams in anticipation of Valentine's Day.

This campaign provides a list of "red flags"—indicators of suspicious behavior—to help individuals identify potential love scammers when interacting online.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/31/take-care-of-your-heart-cicc-warns-vs-love-scam-as-valentine-s-nears