‘We detected unusual activity’: the scam that uses AI to exploit your holiday photos
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/aug/16/scam-ai-holiday-photos-instagram-facebook
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https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/aug/16/scam-ai-holiday-photos-instagram-facebook
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This has always been true
Do not share on social media you’ll be away on a trip, and only share your photos after you’re back
I was told this to prevent thefts, but this scam is just an even bigger variation on that (it still seems crazy people broadcast their images and locations publicly in near real time)
I think more than anything, is to be wary of SMS and email notifications of such things in general. It is far too easy to spoof those. Contacting your bank through official means is probably the safest bet when it comes to situations like these.
You should have stopped at “don’t share on social media”.
I don’t see how posting after you get back protects from this anyway, you might still get the fraudulent alert and think your card was compromised while on your trip. It only really helps in that you are back home when dealing with it.
I guess, but at least at home you don’t have to deal with limited devices to check the internet and esims/limited text message or calling availability
Oh, come on, really?
You never click on a “link to confirm your bank details”. Regardless the pretext, context, subtext, whatever. N E V E R. N E V E R. N E V E R.
This was my attitude when I was younger. But as my financial arrangements have gotten more complicated, more intertwined with those of other people, as I’ve accumulated weird experiences straightening out banking problems, I can see that while there is wisdom in the rule, its never going to be enough. I’m human, I don’t remember everything I need to remember.
The scammers don’t send out “link to confirm your bank details” because zillions of people are stupid, they do it because everyone is a little stupid sometimes.
But what if there’s some unusual activity?
Then call the number on your card. Anything else is going to make someone else some money at your expense
Didn’t you know, if you are the one who has found a corpse, then you are among the suspects immediately? Now, if you have found some unusual activity… ;-)
Do people still click on these links, it’s been drilled into people enough to contact the Bank yourself using a know safe method, e.g. phone number printed on your back card.
It’s basic Phishing mitigation.
Jokes on them, my holiday pictures aren’t stored anywhere they can get to them.
FBI servers?
Maybe they use a film camera. Good luck obtaining access to that by phishing.
There’s no reason a GPT can’t be just as accurate as an expert GeoGuessr player if not moreso, so it checks out.
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