BALTIMORE — The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is warning the public about a new wave of scams powered by artificial intelligence.
Scammers are using AI tools to make their schemes more realistic and harder to spot.
"So, what we're seeing more and more now, the scams are the same, but you're seeing it become more realistic, whether it's voice cloning or image cloning and just being able to utilize AI to reach the public more easily," Eric Shen said.
Shen, a United States Postal Inspector with 20 years experience, noted that scam attempts are prevalent across various platforms.
"Text messages, emails, some phone calls as well," Shen said.
The agency, which has been around for more than 200 years, is involved because many of these scams still connect back to the mail.
"Whether it's money being moved through the mail or continuous communication that's being done through the mail," Shen said.
In one lottery fraud scheme, a Jamaican national in Maryland was recently sentenced to about 3 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $4 million in restitution. Investigators say victims were told to pay taxes and fees before claiming fake winnings, sending money through the mail and losing their life savings.
Shen has a personal connection to the issue, as a family member fell for an investment scam.
"I have family members that have become victims and yeah, I've been an inspector for over 20 years. And that's the reason why I'm still an inspector. I love this job and I love what I'm able to do to help the public," Shen said.
Investment scams had the highest reported losses to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2024, totaling $6.5 billion. This is a fraction of the $16.6 billion reportedly lost in cyber crime in 2024.
To combat the issue, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is asking the public to "spot the bot." Tell-tale signs of AI-generated images include background inconsistencies, extra fingers on hands, and incorrect scaling of objects like trucks. These images often appear on official-looking flyers, in emails, or on posters with QR codes as part of imposter scams designed to steal personal information and money.
Other red flags include scammers promising guaranteed returns, pressuring individuals to recruit others, or asking to move conversations from dating platforms or other social media platforms to apps like WhatsApp or Telegram. Officials advise always double-checking web addresses, looking for small changes compared to official sites like usps.com.
Shen encourages victims to help prevent others from being scammed.
"Don't think about the past, don't feel ashamed. Really become proactive and something that we really want them to do now is become a fraud fighter with us and educate the public, educate the next person so they won't get scammed," Shen said.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, stop communication immediately. Contact your bank to reverse or trace money transfers, and report the fraud to law enforcement agencies such as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and the FBI.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.