ChatGPT has established itself as one of the fastest growing consumer applications of all time. However, this popularity has also brought scammers onto the scene. They try to make money by using words and domain names that appear to be related to the website.

Trends in suspicious activity

As OpenAI becomes one of the most recognized brands in the artificial intelligence space, researchers have identified several cases of threat actors registering and using domains that use "openai" and "chatgpt" in their domain name (e.g. openai[.] us, openai[.]xyz and chatgpt[.]jobs).

Although most of these domains are not yet hosting malicious content as of early April 2023, it is worrying that they are not under the control of OpenAI or other authentic domain management companies. It is possible that they can be misused at any time to cause harm.

ChatGPT scam case studies

During their investigation, the experts observed several phishing URLs that attempt to imitate official OpenAI websites. Typically, the scammers create a fake website that exactly mimics the look and feel of the official ChatGPT website in order to trick users into downloading malware or revealing sensitive information.

Additionally, fraudsters could use social engineering around ChatGPT to commit identity theft or financial fraud. OpenAI offers users a free version of their chatbot. However, scammers direct victims to fraudulent websites and claim that they have to pay for these services. In this case, the fake website attempts to trick victims into revealing sensitive information such as credit card details and email addresses.

The growing popularity of OpenAI is also being exploited by some fraudsters for cryptocurrency scams. In one example, a scammer misused the OpenAI logo and Elon Musk's name to lure victims into a fraudulent cryptocurrency giveaway.

The risks of copycat chatbots

As ChatGPT's popularity grows, more copycat AI chatbot applications have also come onto the market. Some of these applications offer their own large language models, while others claim to provide ChatGPT services via the API announced on March 1st. However, using such copycat chatbots could increase security risks.

Before the release of the ChatGPT API, there were several open source projects that allowed users to use various automation tools to connect to the chatbot. Given that this service is not accessible in certain countries or regions, websites created using these automation tools or the API could attract a significant number of users from these areas. This also offers threat actors an opportunity to monetize ChatGPT: they can offer their service as a proxy. An example of this is a Chinese website that offers a chatbot service that can be used for a fee.

Free or not, these copycat chatbots are not trustworthy.

Conclusion

As the popularity of ChatGPT and OpenAI continues to grow, it is critical that users remain vigilant and aware of potential opportunities for fraud and abuse. This includes verifying the authenticity of websites and services claiming to be associated with OpenAI or ChatGPT. Websites that appear suspicious or request unexpected payments should be avoided.

If users take a defensive stance and are aware of the risks mentioned above, they will be able to interact more confidently with AI technologies and benefit from their benefits.

Source:

Unit42

This might also be of interest:
The language of digital communication: From narrative and storytelling to deepfakes and infodemic
AI-generated online reviews: recognizing fakes and protecting consumers
Even if the skeptic falls for fake news


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )