Partially Redacted: Data, AI, Security, and Privacy Battling Phone and SMS Fraud with Phound's Dave Erickson
Mar 6, 2024
Dave Erickson, co-founder of Phound and a pioneer in communication safety, discusses the alarming rise of phone and SMS fraud. He reveals how scammers exploit vulnerabilities in the SMS protocol and shares tactics they use to deceive people, including impersonation and deep fakes. Erickson introduces innovative solutions, like self-managed contacts that empower users to control who can reach them. He emphasizes the importance of vigilance and simple protective measures to combat this growing threat.
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Accessibility Breeds Vulnerability
- The phone and SMS systems were designed to be highly accessible, not secure, which creates inherent vulnerabilities.
- Accessibility prioritization makes it very difficult to filter out unwanted or scam communications effectively.
AI Escalates Scam Sophistication
- Technological advancements and AI have escalated the scale and complexity of phone and SMS scams.
- Scammers now exploit AI and deepfake tech to make attacks more believable and frequent.
Scammers Exploit Human Psychology
- Scammers exploit human fear and greed through urgent or enticing messages to trick victims.
- They target the most vulnerable populations using high volume, low cost messaging techniques.