Peru has a Sever AI Scam Problem

In Peru, AI has resulted very useful…for scammers.

The use of AI in fraudulent activities, such as copyright infringement and fraud, saw a 74% increase in Peru, according to a report by Appgate’s Security Operations Center (SOC).

Appgate’s SOC recorded 7,429 incidents involving the misuse of brands on social media during the second half of 2023, a significant rise compared to previous years.

Although this activities are illegal, they still pose a challenge in Peru due to the lack of guardrails for AI usage, a situation that data analysts have cautioned against.

“We are witnessing the growth of AI, which will continue to improve over time. Therefore, regulation must be strengthened, similar to what is being done in first-world countries,” Eduardo Quesquén, Moventi’s Technology Manager, told local newspaper El Comercio.

Deepfakes, voice cloning, phishing, synthetic identities and other AI-assisted scam methods are prevalent in the country.

“One of the biggest problems we are facing is identity theft, something we need to resolve urgently. We need to impose stricter penalties for this type of crime,” Quesquén added.

Analysts recommend that businesses invest in cybersecurity equipment and personnel to protect against scams and advise ordinary citizens to limit the amount of personal information they share on social media.

They also highlight that emerging technologies, such as multi-factor authentication and biometric verification, can help prevent AI-driven fraud.