Cybercriminals use artificial intelligence and fake websites to defraud flood victims in SC

Scammers are taking advantage of devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul to take advantage of unsuspecting people. According to this Fantastic, While some criminals act locally and commit widespread crimes, others resort to virtual scams such as fake crowdfunding and even videos manipulated by artificial intelligence (AI).

In one of the actions, a teenager created a fake website to sell products at lower prices. Another example was a scam that used artificial intelligence to recreate the image of businessman Luciano Hang, owner of the Mortar company, and advertise device launches.

In addition to locally committed crimes such as the diversion and sale of donated items, the report also revealed some virtual scams that stand out due to the skills of those who carry them out.

The most common of these is fake crowdfunding, which donates millions of reais to the personal accounts of criminals, appealing to the turmoil surrounding the tragedy in the state.

The report cited the case of a 16-year-old teenager who rented a luxury penthouse in Santa Catarina worth R$ 30,000. He operated on the property by creating fake fundraisers. It also created fake shopping sites containing products sold at prices well below average and never shipped to buyers.

According to RS officials, the youth and two others were moving approximately Rs 2 million a day through criminal activities.

The other scam used videos manipulated with artificial intelligence. In them, businessman Luciano Hang appears to be advertising his stock of air conditioners for only R$149. All proceeds from sales will be donated to flood victims.

“They use my image, our company’s image, with artificial intelligence: The voice is mine, but it’s all fake. So when people see a very good offer, they have to check it on the company’s official website.” “Or research the person and see if that information is actually valid,” Hang told Fantástico.

The fake ad uses the real voice of the businessman, but it is completely fake. More than five thousand consumers have reported fraud in the last 20 days.