AI Is Getting Really Good at Messing With Cybercriminals

I PROMISE I AM NOT BEING DRAMATIC BUT WE ARE FINALLY FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE IN THE INTERNET AGE! SO, GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN LOSING THEIR MINDS TRYING TO STOP ONLINE SCAMMERS WHO OPERATE ACROSS BORDERS WHERE NO ONE CAN TOUCH THEM, WHICH IS FRUSTRATING, BUT NOW THIS COMPANY CALLED APATE HAS THESE AI BOTS THAT ARE LITERALLY DESIGNED TO BE THE PERFECT VICTIMS! THEY GET THE SCAMMERS ON THE PHONE AND JUST KEEP TALKING, WASTING THEIR TIME AND COLLECTING INTELLIGENCE ON HOW THEY WORK! IT IS LIKE A SYSTEMATIC REVERSE-SCAM WHERE THE ROBOTS ARE THE ONES STRINGING THE CRIMINALS ALONG! THE CEO SAYS THEY WANT TO MAKE EVERY MINUTE THE SCAMMER SPENDS ON THESE FAKE CALLS A MINUTE THEY CANNOT SPEND ON A REAL VICTIM! IT IS GENIUS AND CHAOTIC AND I AM HERE FOR IT. ANYWAY I NEED A WATER IMMEDIATELY.

TBH THIS ONE IS WILD BECAUSE WE FINALLY HAVE TECHNOLOGY THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE BEING A CYBERCRIMINAL SUPER ANNOYING! BASICALLY, THIS AUSTRALIAN FIRM NAMED APATE IS USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO TRICK SCAMMERS INTO THINKING THEY HAVE A REAL MARK ON THE LINE! THE BOTS KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING FOREVER WHILE GATHERING DATA ON THE SCAMMER'S METHODS! APPARENTLY, THE GOAL IS TO JUST SQUANDER THEIR RESOURCES BY KEEPING THEM OCCUPIED WITH FAKE VICTIMS SO THEY HAVE LESS TIME TO TARGET REAL PEOPLE! IT IS LIKE THE GREEK GODDESS OF DECEPTION IS WORKING FOR THE GOOD GUYS NOW! NOBODY REALLY KNOWS IF THIS WILL END CYBERCRIME FOREVER, BUT HONESTLY, WASTING A SCAMMER'S ENTIRE AFTERNOON ON A COMPUTER PROGRAM SOUNDS LIKE TOTAL JUSTICE TO ME. ANYWAY THAT IS MY WHOLE THING, LET US DANCE.

An Australian company called Apate is using AI bots to keep phone scammers on the line to waste their time and gather intelligence about their operations.

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