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What is “WormGPT” and is it a threat to consumers?

You’ve probably heard of the AI platform ChatGBT. But did you know it has an evil twin? WormGPT was created by a hacker to create sophisticated email phishing attacks. 

According to security experts, the platform can produce fraudulent emails, and many have described the results as disturbing. Unlike ChatGPT, WormGPT will engage in illegal or unethical actions without any hesitation, which could make it a huge risk to consumers. 

In a report, researchers at SlashNet found that WormGPT is an unfiltered version of ChatGPT and can be used to produce phishing campaigns and business email compromise attacks. 

Currently being sold on the black market, the tool has no restraints or ethical filters. As a result of this, cybercriminals are using it to avoid the normal limitations of AI chatbots. 

Previously, one of the ways consumers and businesses could avoid phishing scams is by looking out for grammatical errors or unnatural-sounding language. However, WormGPT allows anyone, even those with minimal language skills, to create flawless malicious emails.  

In a security advisory, the advisors at SlashNet said: “We conducted tests focusing on BEC attacks to comprehensively assess the potential dangers associated with WormGPT. 

We instructed WormGPT to generate an email to trick an account manager into paying a fraudulent invoice. The result was unnerving: an impeccably crafted, persuasive, and tactically shrewd email that underlined WormGPT’s potential to fuel sophisticated phishing and BEC attacks.”

Security experts have warned that there could be more trouble ahead when it comes to AI tools like WormGPT, as technology will continue to become more advanced. Criminals have been using the dark web for malware services for years, with many being more sophisticated than ChatGPT or WormGPT and offering far more services. 

Since these platforms are continuing to emerge, consumers should be aware that scam emails may be harder to spot, so it’s important to be skeptical of any unexpected communication. 

 

Liz Daunton

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