Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing all spheres of our society, including cybersecurity. The use of this technology is making it increasingly... cyber scams These methods are becoming more credible, automated, and difficult to detect, as cybercriminals use them to create scams and phishing campaigns based on text, voice, or video that is virtually indistinguishable from legitimate content. "Anyone can become a victim of fraud or identity theft," warns Laura Caballero, director of the Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia. Faced with these new threats, she argues that the best way to protect oneself is to strengthen prevention. Caballero proposes measures such as activating two-factor authentication—an identity verification system in which the user must pass two security checks before accessing an account or service—using strong passwords, and having tools to identify fraudulent messages, emails, or calls. According to data from the Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia, 82.6% of emails with malicious links already use AI, and the agency predicts that by 2026, digital identity theft and scams based on this technology will increase.

The proliferation of scams and investment frauds based on love and a supposed friendship has prompted intervention from the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). The Spanish stock market regulator has decided to issue a warning given the high number of such cases. Although they don't reach such a specific segmentation or categorization by "love scams," data from the Ministry of the Interior reveals that last year there were 412,850 complaints of computer scams or cyber scams, of which 72,139 were related to such scams. While these figures are lower than those of 2023, they are significantly higher than in previous years, such as 267,011 in Spain as a whole and 61,607 in Catalonia in 2022, and 335,995 and 61,607, respectively, demonstrating that... According to the CNMV (Spanish National Securities Market Commission), these types of scams that appeal to feelings and emotions "usually begin very innocently: you meet someone online through social media, a dating app, an investment WhatsApp group, or even through a text message saying 'something'." The thing is, "before you know it, you're exchanging messages every day," without ever physically seeing the person. A recurring element is that the scammer appears to be wealthy, travels a lot, and has everything thanks to investing in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, gold, or other currencies. And therein lies one of the key elements: they are willing to teach how to achieve the same lifestyle they supposedly enjoy through recommended apps, accompanied by charts and data that reflect enormous returns. The problem is that when the person who is convinced wants to withdraw their money, there's no way to do so, and the supposed friend has disappeared. The CNMV (Spanish National Securities Market Commission) advises reporting these incidents immediately to the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police), the National Police, or the Guardia Civil (Spanish Civil Guard), and assures that anyone can be a victim. The agency offers numerous tips to avoid these scams. In fact, even video calls cannot serve as cover because the most experienced perpetrators of these practices can resort to artificial intelligence (AI). In short, one of the main recommendations is to ignore all messages, however affectionate and friendly they may be, that come from someone you don't know.

I read a headline in the ARA, supported by CaixaBank, that says: "Are you over sixty? This is all you need to know to protect yourself from cyber fraud." I'm not over sixty, but one day, not so far away, I will be. I'm outraged by what I read: "With more free time, more purchasing power, and, in many cases, less familiarity with technology, this group has become a common target for cybercriminals," and there are many explanatory drawings, in case it wasn't clear from the text alone. In the online edition, they move up and down. They're elderly but modern characters, let's get it straight. There's a lady with short hair wearing reading glasses looking at her cell phone. Slippers dangle from her feet (that must be free time). There's a man, half-bald, with a beard and glasses, putting his hand on a laptop. The phrases are scary. Like the one I mentioned before..

"If the gas man calls you, it's not the gas man. If the phone man calls you, it's not the phone man. If the bank man calls you, it's not the bank man. If your son calls you saying something strange, it's not your son!", warned lawyer Andreu Van den Eynde. "You no longer know what's real and what's a lie," lamented one fraud victim. This would be the summary of the 30 minutes This Sunday, which highlighted the scope of cyber fraud, a crime that everyone is late to: the media, the law, institutions, and, of course, the police. Now that the problem is endemic in our daily lives, the reports serve to highlight the extent of the tragedy. They also show the impunity of the scammers and the indifference of the police and banks and savings banks. The latter appeared on a final list because they hadn't wanted to participate in the report. CaixaBank wasn't included, by the way.

"In 2025, cyber scams will increase," Laura Caballero, director of the Catalan Cybersecurity Agency, categorically predicts. Last year's massive corporate data leaks and the use of artificial intelligence lead the Catalan government agency to predict an upward trend in digital scams. It is in this context that the Agency has launched a two-pronged initiative: a cybersecurity alert channel via WhatsApp and an online mailbox where citizens who detect cyber scams can report them.