AI-driven scams targeting vulnerable populations

Cybercriminals are increasingly employing artificial intelligence to conduct sophisticated phishing and impersonation attacks. Initial reports highlighted deepfake scams specifically targeting veterans through fraudulent social media posts, such as a fake ‘Veterans & Retired Seniors Grant Program’. These tactics, which include highly convincing fake voices and videos, have resulted in the redirection of government benefits to criminals.

As the situation evolves, there is a broader trend of AI-assisted scams targeting elderly populations. Criminals are utilizing techniques like romance scams, smishing, and spoofing to impersonate government agencies—including the IRS, Medicare, and Social Security—as well as financial institutions. These attackers often create a false sense of urgency regarding account security or unusual transactions to trick victims into providing access codes, clicking malicious links, or granting remote access to their devices.