Criminal gangs use Artificial Intelligence to commit crimes.

Organized crime is no longer limited to the streets, but has moved into the digital world, infiltrating social networks, dating apps and platforms such as WhatsApp.

In Latin America, criminals are expanding their reach by taking advantage of new, accessible and easy-to-use technologies.

Fraud victims come from diverse demographics, with those in search of love, employment, the elderly and individuals with limited digital literacy being especially vulnerable.

Below are six ways criminals are using artificial intelligence to intensify their attacks:

1. Recruitment and indoctrination of minors:

Using algorithms, criminals identify and recruit young people to join criminal organizations, luring them with false promises through manipulated videos.

2. Improving routes for illicit activities:

AI applied to navigation services such as Waze or Google Maps allows criminals to optimize their routes for trafficking illegal substances and people, taking advantage of data to avoid police controls.

3. Large-scale social manipulation:

AI tools facilitate the rapid extraction of personal information from social networks, allowing personalized and convincing communications in an automated way.

4. Market for criminal tools:

Cybercriminals offer services and tools to commit crimes, reducing costs and skills necessary to scam online.

5. Digital fakes and identity theft:

Using deepfakes, criminals can create false content to extort, defraud or manipulate, taking advantage of AI to generate misleading messages.

Artificial intelligence has become a powerful tool to perpetrate criminal activities, challenging digital security and the integrity of people in the technological age.