As artificial intelligence becomes more pervasive, scammers are getting more creative with how they swindle people on social media.
A viral TikTok posted by Miranda (@miranda._777._) on June 15 showed an AI video that a scammer sent to her on Instagram. The scammer appears to be impersonating a woman by speaking in a high-pitched voice.
The person, who some commenters thought was calling themselves “Mama Heater,” asked Miranda for a payment “immediately.”
The 18-year-old TikTok user, however, wasn’t fazed. Contrary to what was said, the poorly generated video did not seem “real legit.” (Miranda did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.)
“Are you actually fr [for real],” she replied to the direct message. “There’s no way you’d think I’d believe that.”
Some comments under Miranda’s TikTok video mentioned that their older family members have fallen or would fall for similar AI scams.
“Someone’s 60-year-old dad would believe this,” one user said.
“That’s definitely my uncle,” another commented.
“Old people really fall for these every day and send money,” another comment said.
A 2022 study published in Scientific Reports found that older adults have lower digital literacy rates than younger age groups. Digital literacy refers to one’s ability to navigate and properly evaluate the information they see online. People who were older than 65 tended to have less digital knowledge than those aged 18 to 29 years old, according to Pew Research Center.
Other comments from younger users on TikTok laughed at the absurdity of the AI video.
“I would’ve started dying and sent a voice message,” one user said.
“The fact that they recorded it, watched it back, and decided to send [it],” another commented.
The scammer ultimately replied to Miranda’s message on Instagram.
“She told me, ‘It’s OK if you don’t believe me,’” Miranda said.
