‘We detected unusual activity’: the scam that uses AI to exploit your holiday photos
Cybercriminals are using AI tools to analyze holiday photos posted on social media to pinpoint a user's location. This information is then used to craft highly convincing phishing messages that exploit the victim's travel history to steal financial details.
Why it matters
This demonstrates a new frontier in social engineering where AI lowers the barrier for criminals to conduct sophisticated, personalized fraud.
Common AI tools can accurately detect where a photo was taken more than 90% of the time. Common AI tools can accurately detect where a photo was taken more than 90% of the time. Scam watch Scams ‘We detected unusual activity’: the scam that uses AI to exploit your holiday photos Fraudsters use pictures posted on Instagram or Facebook to create emails seeking bank account details
Prefer the Guardian on Google Y ou are on a short break in Porto and post some pictures of your family on Instagram or Facebook. With a small section of the Douro river in the background, you think it could have been taken anywhere.
A few days later, you get a text saying that your card was compromised. “We detected unusual activity while you were travelling in Porto – please verify immediately,” says the message.
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