A new report from Microsoft warns that artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever for scammers to create fake websites and trick unsuspecting users.
According to the report, Microsoft took down nearly 500 malicious web domains last year and blocked an average of 1.6 million bot signup attempts every hour.
What makes these scams harder to detect is that many legitimate websites are also built using AI—making fake ones more convincing.
Experts say to watch out for “limited time” deals, and always look for typos or unusual spellings in the URL.
If you’re on social media and click a link that leads to a shopping site, close the tab and search for the site independently to verify it’s real.
Also, check the reviews. If they all sound similar or are all five stars, that’s usually a red flag.