“Boomer traps”: beware of these “sentimental scams” ​​generated by AI which target elderly Internet users

Image of a young shepherdess wearing a military uniform, spectacular sculptures, children with puppies… All these images published on TikTok, Instagram, X or even Facebook were generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Deceptively realistic, they are often touching and provoke emotion on social networks. The objective: to trap the least informed Internet users. Their target: “boomers”, the oldest surfers on the web, and the most sensitive users.

Once they have fallen into the trap, the emotion aroused by the image pushes them to like, share or comment on the publication. “We have switched to the economy of emotional clicks, of images that are intentionally too cute or really revolting that it is very difficult not to forward to those close to you,” explained Ivana Bartoletti, AI researcher and advisor to the Council of Europe on issues of equality, human rights and artificial intelligence in the newspaper The Parisian.

Emotional trafficking and scams

This is where the trap can close. In the worst-case scenario, these reactions can be interpreted by malicious people as a sign of the Internet user's naivety. It then becomes a prime target for “grazers”, these hackers who sometimes organize themselves into teams to defraud their prey financially or emotionally.

For the moment, these fake photos are mainly used to attract Internet users to the page that publishes them in order to increase its number of subscribers. The person behind the account can then qualify for advertising partnerships to generate revenue. The profile which has increased in value with the growth of its community could also be resold on the darknet. The buyer would then just have to take advantage of the page's audience to launch false calls for donations or false discounts on cryptocurrencies.

Rapid advances in AI are making image generation accessible to everyone, leaving little chance of this trend declining. According to the researcher cited by The Parisianonly “clear and effective regulation at European level” could provide a solution.