As we head into the peak holiday shopping season, major retailers are fighting a new kind of war. It’s not just about black Friday crowds anymore; it’s about an army of AI robots trying to steal merchandise.
A new report highlighted by Newsmax reveals that 3 out of every 10 fraud attempts targeting major retailers are now generated by Artificial Intelligence.
Here is what is happening behind the scenes, and how this wave of “Deepfake Retail Fraud” affects you as a shopper.
The Attack: How Robots Are Stealing Refunds
According to data from the deepfake detection firm Pindrop, scammers are using sophisticated AI bots to call customer service lines thousands of times a day.
These bots aren’t just random noise. They are programmed to:
- Impersonate Customers: They use voice-altering technology to sound like real people.
- Execute Refunds: The bot calls a store, claims a package was lost, and demands a refund.
- Use Real Data: Shockingly, these bots often have real customer names, phone numbers, and order numbers (likely stolen from other data breaches).
In one example cited in the report, a bot with a robotic voice called a helpline, ignored the agent’s questions, but successfully rattled off a valid order number to get a refund processed instantly.
Why This Matters to You
You might think, “Well, that’s the store’s problem, not mine.” But this massive spike in fraud impacts regular consumers in two ways:
- Stricter Return Policies: As stores get hammered by fake refund requests, they are forced to tighten their rules, making it harder for honest shoppers to return legitimate items.
- Dangerous Social Media Ads: The report also notes that this fraud isn’t limited to phone calls. Scammers are flooding social media with deepfake videos of “celebrities” endorsing fake products or mimicking the branding of trusted stores like Amazon, Apple, and luxury labels.
How to Stay Safe This Season
The article warns that while retailers fight the bots on the phone lines, you need to fight them on your social media feed.
Here is how to protect your wallet:
- Ignore the “Celebrity” Endorsement: If you see a video of a famous person selling a product on TikTok or Instagram, be highly skeptical. AI makes it incredibly easy to clone a celebrity’s face and voice to sell a scam.
- The “Official Site” Rule: If you see a deal that looks amazing (especially for luxury goods or tech), do not click the link in the post. Close the app, open your browser, and type in the retailer’s address (e.g., amazon.com) manually to see if the deal actually exists.
- Watch Your Order History: Since bots are using real order numbers, keep an eye on your legitimate accounts. If you see a notification about a “return” or “refund” you didn’t ask for, contact the store immediately—someone might be using your order data to scam the system.
The Bottom Line
The technology is moving fast. Pindrop CEO Vijay Balasubramaniyan noted that fraudsters are running these attacks “on steroids, 24/7.” This holiday season, a little extra skepticism is the best gift you can give your bank account.
