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Scammers using AI images of fake earthquake victims to steal donations

Feb 17, 2023 by Alex Baker Leave a Comment

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Scammers using AI images of fake earthquake victims to steal donations

Some of the images we’ve seen recently of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria have been heartbreaking. So far, more than 35,000 people have lost their lives, and those that have survived are facing a bitter, homeless winter. But some people have been taking advantage of this and, according to a BBC report, have been using AI-generated images to create fake donation pages online.

These scammers are channeling honest donations away from the people who actually need them into their own PayPal and crypto wallets. The cover image above was one such scam that was posted 8 times in just a few hours on Twitter. Neither firefighter nor child exists, they were created by Midjourney.

AI isn’t great yet at some of the fine details. It’s fairly obvious when you know what to look for, the overall style is very AI image generator. The other clue is the 6 fingers on the fireman’s hand. According to further investigation, the crypto wallet had been involved in previous scams.

Other scammers have set up fundraisers on TikTok, where viewers can donate gifts. Aside from the fact that many of these are fake and use fake or AI images and videos, allegedly, TikTok itself pockets 70% of all donated gifts anyway. Either way, your money is not getting to the people who actually need it.

Another one to watch out for is the use of PayPal, which hasn’t been used within Turkish borders since 2016. “They create fake disaster relief accounts that appear to be legitimate organizations or news outlets, but then drive funds to their own PayPal addresses,” says Ax Sharma, cyber security expert at Sonatype, to the BBC. “There are real charities outside of Turkey using PayPal, but when these fundraisers say they’re in Turkey, that’s a red flag,” he says.

The best way, as always, is to donate directly via trusted charities such as Red Cross, Medicins San Frontiers, or through local collection points. Often times charities are seeking donations of actual products such as sanitary items and winter coats and blankets rather than just financial donations. It’s hard sometimes to spot scammers, but by being aware that they are operating, you can be better assured that you are helping the people who need it most.

 

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Filed Under: news Tagged With: AI, Earthquake, scam, turkey

About Alex Baker

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

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Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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