BBB Tips: How to protect yourself when using ChatGPT

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - The Better Business Bureau is warning scammers that cybercriminals have taken advantage of popular online tool ChatGPT’s capabilities for malicious purposes.

When used correctly, ChatGPT can help create papers or translate text after a few key words have been typed in. It’s designed to learn from large amounts of online data and then recycle the information and phrasing

If a scammer uses ChatGPT, it makes the job easier, and could increase the volume of phishing attacks, which may convince you to click a malicious link or hand over personal information.

“Folks will be able to turn around that written copy make those believable messages in the matter of seconds, rather than in the matter of hours that they basically have to do currently,” said Josh Planos, with the Better Business Bureau.

One of the telltale signs of a scam is usually misspellings or grammatical errors. But with ChatGTP, it often has fewer spelling mistakes because of the data it collects online. That means you want to be on guard now for texts and emails that look too well-written, which goes against the traditional warnings of looking out for poorly written texts and emails.

“Anytime you receive unsolicited communication, give yourself a second to think about why that conversation is happening and don’t just jump in, don’t just click on that shortened link, or that request for personal or payment information,” Planos said. “Do a little bit of research to confirm whether or not the communication is authentic.”

You can report a potential scam to the Better Business Bureau, who can help investigate the potential scam.

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