Asked ChatGPT where to buy a product — lost money: scammers mastered a new scheme
Users can end up on fake online stores even through recommendations from ChatGPT and other AI services. As a result, people lose money and give scammers their bank card details. This is reported by the British publication The Guardian.
Cybersecurity experts warn about a new online scam scheme. Malefactors create fake copies of websites of well-known brands and manage to have them appear among the results offered by ChatGPT.
The scheme is simple. A person asks ChatGPT where to buy a popular bag, shoes, or other product. The AI shows options and links to stores. The buyer follows one of them, sees a familiar brand, big discounts, and places an order.
After payment, the product does not arrive. Instead, scammers get the money and may gain access to the victim's banking data.
According to the fraud detection service Ask Silver, such fake sites have already been spotted among ChatGPT's results. In particular, they disguised themselves as stores of well-known British brands.
Why this is dangerous
Many users believe that if a site was recommended by ChatGPT, it is verified and safe. Scammers exploit this trust.
"People increasingly turn to artificial intelligence for advice, but criminals adapt just as quickly," fraud prevention specialists note.
How not to become a victim
Experts advise following a few simple rules:
- do not trust a site just because ChatGPT showed it;
- carefully check the website address;
- be cautious if the store offers excessively large discounts;
- do not pay for purchases on suspicious resources;
- if possible, find the official brand website yourself instead of following recommendation links.
If you have already entered your bank card details on a suspicious site, you should immediately contact your bank and block the card.
What ChatGPT says
OpenAI reported that after detecting the problem, fraudulent sites were removed from ChatGPT's search index.
However, experts emphasize that even AI recommendations do not guarantee that a site is genuine. Therefore, when shopping online, it is always worth additionally verifying the seller, especially if it is a new or little-known online store.
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