Yet Another Example Of "The Dark Side" Of AI :-( | Page 3 | Your stories | Discussion forum

What really scared me was a claim that malware could infect your computer via e-mail received, even if the mail is not opened or read by the recipient.

Did not hear anything more about it, so maybe it was a false claim.

HermanH said
What really scared me was a claim that malware could infect your computer via e-mail received, even if the mail is not opened or read by the recipient.

Did not hear anything more about it, so maybe it was a false claim.  

It used to be possible 20 years ago but modern email clients addressed that vulnerability. So you are good.

Perhaps the safest thing to do these days, is to take your Bitcoins and bury them in the backyard.

Dean: I agree that there's no security in uninsured investments, private or otherwise. But anyone who approaches you with an offer to take your money is probably to be avoided. Or at least thoroughly investigated.

I am not aware of any way to abuse unopened E-mails. I will also mention that most E-mail software allows an option to "open as text," so that no links, java or the likes can be triggered.

My experience with text spam is that each report to SPAM triggers a canned text asking for info about the message being reported, even if one has already reported all those details. Sloppy.

Opening E-mails can STILL do damage unless you take the precaution to Open as Text or have an E-mail scanning antivirus. I'm not aware of any mail provider that can stop e-mail attacks other than those they know about and are watching for.

Dean said
.
Good points ⬆️

But as we know, there are New email scams being generated every day.

We Can't Be Too Careful

Dean

  

It is time to switch to pen or pencil, use clean sheet of paper, envelope, lick stamps and swear at mailmen when they go on strike.
Or grab your gold, move to Nunavut and live happily ever after...

RetirEd said
CAD: Well, many Canada Post stamps are peel-and-stick these days. No licking required.   

Junkies LOVE Canadian stamps as they can get high licking all that glue when other drugs are in short supply; plus they get a hearty meal chewing and swallowing them.

When a Canada Post employee applies stamps at an outlet, they are "lickers" - though they usually have a sponge or wet-roller to do the moistening.

The title of this thread prompts me to mention an example of a different sort of AI deception I encountered yesterday and today...

In the last few days I have had several calls from unrecognized numbers with the 604 (BC) area code. I ignore most of those, but this time I have answered twice. I heard several seconds of silence, then followed by a cheery woman's voice. She introduces herself as "Wendy," and says she's calling from a medical insurance organization in Miami that can help me choose the right additional insurance plan. I hear background noises that make it sound as though she is in a call centre.

The first thing she says after the introduction is, "We assume you already have the basic coverage, is that correct?"

Both times I felt it was a bit strange or weird, so I ignored her question, but asked if she was a real person or an AI voice. She came back with her medical insurance pitch and re-asked her question. I did not answer, but asked what part of Miami she was in, to see what she'd do. On both calls "she" gave up and said "We'll need to discuss this at a later time. Goodbye."

I went to Perplexity, currently my first search engine these days, to ask about such calls. I learned what I suspect some of you already know: that calls like those are AI-created calls, and the goal may be to harvest one's voice, especially having you say the words "yes" or "OK" or "agreed," etc. With only a few seconds of our voices, AI can create speech that sounds like us, and use the new persona they've created to pretend to be us and get through the voice verification systems some financial and other services are now using.

It was a strange experience, and I'm pleased to have learned about the attempted deception. Had I not been suspicious from the start (because I am not eligible for a health plan from a provider in the US) I might well have played along into her script and fed them voice clips I could never get back. (Unfortunately, for all I know, they're happy with, and could use for nefarious purposes, the bits I did say in my brief bantering before the call ended.)

My wife simply NEVER answers unknown numbers on our phone. She's smarter than I am.

I can't understand why anyone went ahead with voice recognition systems when voice recording or spoofing techniques were already widely available.

A hint: I have noted that scam and spam calls that switch from silence to voice with a thin "plink" sound like picking a guitar on the wrong side of the bridge always mark a call centre.

We should at least be grateful that the fraud calls have pretty much put real telemarketers out of business! Everyone's just going to assume they're scamscum.