Ask Silver, a scam-checking service, says criminals are ‘poisoning’ AI chatbots so they pick up rogue webpages
Fake retail websites that are set up to scam unsuspecting Brits are appearing in ChatGPT search results.
Ask Silver, a scam-checking service, says criminals are “poisoning” AI chatbots so they pick up rogue webpages.
These websites use fake web addresses that look similar to the real site and take payment for products that never arrive.
Ask Silver says it has seen examples of cloned sites pretending to be Russell & Bromley and Dunelm appearing in chats after shoppers asked for shopping recommendations.
The Mirror contacted Dunelm and Next, owner of Russell & Bromely, for comment. ChatGPT said it has taken steps to prevent these sites from appearing in its chat service. It added that users can report any websites or sources that violate its policies.
Alex Somervell, co-founder of Ask Silver, said: “We were shocked to find that these clone sites are now being recommended by AI. This is likely the beginning of a new pattern of behaviour in fraud, and may be just the tip of the iceberg.
“A recommendation from an online search or from AI can be the start of your research, but not the end of it. It’s always worth taking a few seconds to verify the website before entering any personal information or payment details.“
Louise Baxter MBE, Head of the National Trading Standards Scams Team, said: “People should not assume that a website is genuine simply because it has been recommended by an AI tool.
“The best defence is to stop and think. A quick check before buying anything or giving any personal information could prevent you from becoming the victim of a scam.”
How to report scams
You can report scams and fraud to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or through the Action Fraud website.
If you’re in Scotland, report a scams to Police Scotland on 101 and to Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website.
For scam emails, forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk, and for scam text messages, forward them to 7726 for free. You can report dodgy websites to the National Cyber Security Centre.
If you suspect a scammer is calling you, hang up immediately and search for the contact details online of the place you’re supposedly being called from.
Never call back the number provided by the caller. Contact your bank straight away if you think a fraudster has got access to your account. You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect you to your bank.
Passwords that have been leaked or compromised should be changed immediately.
