by Bonnie Collings
When 79-year old Rob saw a video of a doctor recommending a health supplement, he thought it was a product he could trust.

He didn't realise the video was false, a deepfake created by artificial intelligence.
Rob shared his scam experience in the hope of spreading awareness about AI scams.
While scrolling through a website last November, a pop-up advertisement caught Rob's eye.
"A pop-up came up of somebody interviewing a heart surgeon about alternatives to surgery," Rob said. "I've had heart problems so I listened."
In the video, the heart surgeon encouraged customers to purchase a supplement. Rob said it was promoted as a "capsule with six natural ingredients that clean your arteries out."
Rob went to the advertised website to purchase the product. A number of bundles and deals were available.
"The most economical one was 'buy three get two free', so I ordered it," he said.
When Rob's order arrived, he realised he'd been charged the full price for five bottles instead of the bundle he selected. Looking at it now, Rob said that should have been the first red flag.
"I thought, oh well, I'll use it anyway if it's as good as it says it is," he said.
In January, another package of the supplement arrived on Rob's doorstep.
"It came automatically, without me ordering it and another $339 came out of my account," Rob said. "I began wondering, what's going on here?"
Rob sent an inquiry to the the manufacturer - before going back to the website. There he found a small blue tick box next to a sentence requesting automatic product refills. The box was already ticked.
"I don't recall seeing that (when I ordered), and when I printed the page off, that blue box didn't show up," Rob said. "It was very sneaky."
Feeling uneasy about about the situation, Rob began looking into the manufacturer. After a few minutes of online searching, he found an ABC News article about scammers using artificial intelligence to sell supplements.
Rob realised the heart surgeon he'd seen promoting the supplement was a deepfake created by AI. A deepfake is an image, video or recording that appears to be real but has been digitally altered or manipulated using AI, typically used maliciously or to spread false information.
Deepfakes may use the likeness of a real person, manipulating their image to make them say or do things they never did. They also can depict someone who does not exist.
Realising he'd been scammed, Rob contacted his bank to block any future charges and attempt to get his money back.
"I was angry, upset that they would take advantage of a person that way," Rob said. "It makes me sad that it's (scams) costing innocent people a fortune."
A spokesperson for the National Anti-Scam Centre said scam advertisements that use deepfake videos were a "prevalent and ongoing issue on social media platforms."
"Scammers use AI to create deepfake videos and/or voice impersonations of well-known individuals, to provide fake endorsements of products or services in advertisements or fake news items," the spokesperson said.
The National Anti-Scam Centre urged consumers to report scams using the Scamwatch report form.
"Reporting content is the most direct way of disrupting AI-generated scams," the spokesperson said.
"Scamwatch reports prompt an automated referral of AI-generated content hosted on websites or social media platforms for takedown assessment. More generally, increased sharing of scam reports and other initiatives facilitated by the National Anti-Scam Centre helps enable the finance, telecommunications and digital platform sectors to take more timely and effective steps to stop scammers."
Building community awareness of AI scams can help prevent harm and help people identify scams before they fall victim, the spokesperson said.
After experiencing the scam, and a series of others in the past, Rob is making an effort to educate himself on scams. By sharing his story, Rob hoped others would be encouraged to do the same. "The public need to be aware about how sophisticated (scams) have got and what to watch out for," he said.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has three tips for consumers to avoid scams.
1. Stop: don't give money or your information to anyone if unsure.
2. Check: ask yourself if the message or call is fake. Contact the business on a number you source independently.
3. Protect: act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank immediately if you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information. Seek help and report the scam or any suspicious contact or activity to Scamwatch.
For more information about reporting digital scams, The Digital Industry Group Incorporated (DIGI) guide to reporting scams on digital platforms can be found online at https://digi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/How-to-report-scams-_-Guide-produced-by-DIGI-_-May-2024-.pdf