Artificial intelligence (AI) scams are becoming increasingly common, with cybercriminals using stolen selfies and personal identifiable information to create deepfakes that can bypass digital verification systems. According to a report by Socure, scammers can easily steal profile pictures from social media profiles and use them with AI-powered generators to create realistic images of fake people.
The threat is so real that law enforcement agencies are taking notice. The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued an alert to help banks spot scams associated with the use of deepfake media created using GenAI, a type of artificial intelligence that generates highly realistic images and videos.
Meanwhile, the high price of AI is also sparking controversy. Companies like OpenAI are charging exorbitant fees for their premium AI services, with prices starting at $2,000 monthly for basic agents and up to $20,000 per month for top-tier research agents. This has raised questions about whether these prices are justified, given the supposed benefits of AI.
SoftBank has already committed to spend $3 billion on OpenAI’s agents this year alone, despite concerns that the pricing inconsistency across the AI landscape may leave customers confused. Some companies are charging only when the AI completes a task, while others are including AI features in existing products and bumping prices.
The massive data centers powering these systems cost billions of dollars annually, and specialized AI chips can run into tens of thousands of dollars each. However, defenders of these prices point out that AI assistants work 24/7 without breaks or benefits, potentially processing information faster than human researchers.
As the gold rush mentality in pricing continues, skeptics wonder if these theoretical advantages really justify the sky-high costs. Can an AI agent perform complex tasks requiring deep understanding and original thinking? The answer remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: AI scams and premium pricing are a double-edged sword that requires careful consideration and skepticism from consumers and businesses alike.
Source: https://www.pymnts.com/news/security-and-risk/2025/scammers-tap-social-media-selfies-and-genai-to-fuel-fraud