Gen Z targeted by AI-driven extortion scams
New research looking at high pressure extortion scams reveals that Gen Z is being particularly impacted by AI-powered threats. All mobile users are at risk, however, with one in three having been targeted by an extortion scam, often threatening to expose pictures or browsing history, and nearly one in five falling victim.
The research from Malwarebytes shows a distinct target profile for extortion. 69 percent of victims and 64 percent of targets are Gen Z or Millennial (compared 52 percent of victims and 40 percent of targets of other types of scams). 65 percent of victims and 60 percent of targets are male (vs. 48 percent/45 percent)
“AI has poured gasoline on extortion scams, making it easier than ever to target people with real or manipulated images or videos paired with real information about them from the dark web,” says Shahak Shalev, global head of scam and AI research at Malwarebytes. “These ruthless scams weaponize shame, exploiting our deepest fears to force quick decisions and fast payouts. I want to remove the shame associated with scams and instead encourage people to share their stories to help educate others. If we can remove the stigma and silence around scams, I think we can help everyone take a step back and pause before acting on one of these threats.”
This is largely a mobile first issue with 52 percent of victims and 46 percent of targets agreeing that, “I’m more likely to click a link on my phone than on my laptop.”
AI is adding to the problem with one in five mobile users having been the target of a deepfake scam and nearly as many have encountered a virtual kidnapping scam (a decades-old tactic that now often uses AI voice cloning). Two in five (43 percent) Gen Z users have been a target of one of these.
The consequences of these scams are very real for the victims, 32 percent say they have suffered reputation damage, 29 percent suffered work/school consequences, 24 percent had their personal information stolen and 21 percent had financial accounts opened in their name.
You can find out more on the Malwarebytes blog.
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