Key facts
- AI is being used to create realistic fake retailer websites.
- Voice cloning and deepfake videos are used to impersonate people asking for money.
- AI generates error-free, personalized phishing emails and messages at scale.
- Consumers are advised to check shop addresses and verify company authorization.
Shoppers are being warned about a rise in sophisticated scams powered by artificial intelligence, according to National Trading Standards. Criminals are leveraging AI to create convincing fake websites for non-existent retailers, often posing as family-run businesses selling quality UK-made products. These sites may feature AI-generated images of UK high streets. Consumers who order from these sites often receive no product or cheap, mass-produced items from countries like China. AI is also being used for romance scams, to maintain conversations by remembering personal details, and to create deepfake videos and voice-cloned audio to impersonate friends or family in emergencies. Error-free, personalized phishing emails, texts, and social media posts can also be generated by AI on a large scale. National Trading Standards has released its first AI scam watchlist detailing these criminal tactics. Consumer group Which? notes that traditional scam indicators like typos are no longer reliable. Advice includes never sending money or personal information to someone not met in person, researching shops and verifying company authorization, and not assuming a person is genuine based on video or voice calls. Consumers are urged to stop and think before paying or sharing information, and to be wary of pressure or urgency tactics.