Small businesses are the latest victims of fraudsters who previously turned their spoofing skills to imitating big companies’ websites. The International Trademark Association’s head of counterfeiting says no brand is immune from criminals who create fake sites and rack up fake sales, using customers’ real money.
As ChapGPT and other AIs get more sophisticated, brands are increasingly vulnerable to fakery, and are often a few steps behind the scammers. The spoofed sites use copy from the original small business sites, working in videos and texts. Most victimized businesses are reduced to damage control and keeping customers happy. We take a closer look at small companies that have been victimized, including a maker of merino wool socks and a small business that sells cups meant to attract bees and other pollinators.
