With the increasing use of digital services, new methods of fraud are also emerging. Recently, such cases have come to light in which, after taking subscription of an AI chatbot, money started getting deducted from the users’ accounts without their permission. An important aspect of this fraud is that these transactions are done under the guise of ‘gift cards’, due to which initially people do not suspect anything about it.
How does this “Free Gift Card” Scam Work?
The method behind this scam is quite clever. First, a user subscribes to an AI chatbot and continues using it as usual. Over time, gift cards are purchased using the payment method associated with the same account—all without the user’s knowledge or consent.
These transactions appear in the bank statement under the same name as the original service, making them appear completely correct. Often, users also receive emails informing them that they have sent someone a gift; This increases their confusion even more. It is important to note that this scam is completely different from genuine gift offers offered by telecom companies through their official apps, where users themselves actively avail of the offer.
Why is it so difficult to detect?
This type of fraud is not easy to identify. Since these fees often seem like normal subscription fees or charges for additional features, most people ignore them. Additionally, payments are processed through a genuine platform, which means banks don’t immediately flag these transactions as suspicious. In many cases, gift cards are sent to the user’s own email address, raising suspicions that either the email account has been hacked or a vulnerability in the system is being exploited.
How big can the economic loss be?
In this scam, the financial loss increases gradually. Sometimes small amounts are deducted repeatedly, and sometimes large amounts are withdrawn in a single transaction. Many users have reported that thousands of rupees had already been withdrawn from their accounts before they became suspicious. Although a refund may be available later, the process takes a lot of time and requires contact with both the bank and the service provider.
What steps should be taken immediately?
If you notice any suspicious transactions, take immediate action. First of all, contact the support team of the concerned service and request to cancel that unauthorized subscription. Also, inform your bank or credit card company and request a chargeback. As a security measure, the bank may also block your existing card and issue a new card in its place. Also, immediately change the passwords of all your important accounts—especially your email and related services—and make sure you have two-factor authentication turned on.
What are the companies doing?
Companies providing AI services are now incorporating new security features to monitor such activities. These measures include identifying suspicious transactions and automatically canceling such subscriptions. However, the companies say that they have not found any concrete evidence to suggest that payment information was directly leaked from their systems.
Vigilance is your best protection
Today, AI chatbots have become an important part of our lives; But, it is equally important to protect yourself from the new methods of fraud related to these. Your best protection is to check your bank statements regularly and never ignore any unknown transactions.