Toll-charge scam, five AI threats, CISA impersonation and reducing spam messages

Fraudsters pose as employees of toll road agencies and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting consumers. Also in this column, the author details how artificial intelligence is making it easier to commit cyberfraud, and how consumers can reduce the number of spam emails in their inboxes.

John Johnson received a text message demanding payment for overdue driving toll charges. He thought the message was legitimate because he routinely crossed a toll bridge on his way to work, so he clicked on a link and paid the amount with his credit card. But after he saw numerous unexplained charges on his credit card statement, he immediately called Visa, and the company dropped the charges. He was a victim of the “overdue toll charge” scam. The case is fictional, but it’s representative of this type of fraud.