By Dr. Jarrod Sadulski | 10/14/2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that impacts our daily lives and has been used for decades. However, its capabilities have been on the rise through innovation.
For example, artificial intelligence significantly impacts our smartphones and their apps. For instance, artificial intelligence within apps can provide real-time traffic updates and create search results based on learned patterns of user behavior and search activity.
Artificial Intelligence in Crime
While artificial intelligence is helpful, it can also be used for criminal exploitation and activities. Leveraging AI to engage in criminal activity is a growing trend that presents many different threats, and anyone with technical skills can use it for criminal purposes.
For instance, AI is commonly used in online fraud. Criminals can use AI to create deepfake videos to impersonate someone. This video impersonation uses AI to create realistic images and voice messages that mimic a real person.
Deepfakes can also be used in other ways:
- To create blackmail messages
- To manufacture fake videos or other evidence that someone committed a crime
- To deceive someone into providing sensitive information
Using AI for Identity and Financial Fraud
Identity fraud and financial fraud through AI are common. For instance, AI can be used to create a deepfake image of a family member who is being held hostage or kidnapped. In this scam, bad actors trick victims into sending money in response to criminals who demand a ransom.
AI can be used by thieves to clone someone’s voice for phone fraud. A family member may get a phone call from a loved one, who asks for money to resolve an emergency situation. Since the voice sounds real, it is all too easy for a victim to be scammed.
Another growing threat involving AI-enabled crime is phishing emails and social engineering, which can be devastating to business systems. AI has been used to generate very personalized, believable, and properly written emails that can be sent to many potential victims. Since so many of these emails are sent out, only a small number of victims are needed for the attack to be profitable.
How to Avoid Criminal Exploitation from AI Scams
There are steps that people can take to reduce risk and avoid becoming a victim of AI-related crimes. If you receive an unexpected text, phone call, or email and doubt its authenticity, it is best to verify that person’s identity in one of two ways:
- Contacting the sender through a known phone number
- Use an email you know is associated with that person
Before the use of AI, it was often sufficient to carefully examine a text or email to determine if it was fraudulent based on:
- Grammatical errors
- Incomplete email addresses
- Spelling errors
Now, AI is capable of creating error-free content for emails and texts. Consequently, people are more likely to be tricked and become victims.
It is best to record any request that appears suspicious. Federal agencies such as the FBI and local law enforcement have an important role in:
- Addressing AI-generated fake identification
- Determining investment fraud schemes to protect the public
- Using federal government surveillance to prevent attacks from occurring
- Detecting criminal organizations that use AI
Also, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security can detect threats in real time and support efforts to combat fraud.
Federal government surveillance can be essential in detecting AI tools and fraudulent schemes. Federal government agencies can combat criminal activity through working with tech companies to limit future victimization.
However, the use of AI present challenges for the government and law enforcement. For instance, AI tools can be used to scan online systems and find weak security protocols that increase their risk for hacking.
Another risk is that hackers can use AI to gather data and credentials from various platforms. They could then hack into someone’s computer or another electronic device at a much faster pace than a human could.
AI can be used to increase the capabilities of malware to evade firewalls and security protocols for victims all over the world. As a result, someone could lose their savings, or their personally identifiable information could be compromised. Malware can also hinder the success of company services.
The Most Vulnerable Targets for AI-Enabled Crimes
Criminals often select certain groups that they believe will be the most vulnerable to fraud. One group is the elderly, who are less tech savvy and are less likely to identify a hoax driven by artificial intelligence software.
Children are also targets of this type of exploitation. Children regularly explore websites and social media platforms.
A Google® search often leads to AI-generated content. While Google is an important tool in the daily lives of most people, children should be taught that a Google search can lead to chatbots that can deceive unsuspecting victims or unpleasant images.
Any child with access to the internet is the potential target of child exploitation. However, parents can protect their kids and reduce the risk of child exploitation by educating children on:
- How to safely explore the internet
- How to avoid schemes that could cost self-respect or money
Parents should also examine their children’s activity on social media and the internet. Any suspicious activity, especially involving artificial intelligence, should be immediately reported to law enforcement so that others are aware of the threat.
Other Ways That AI Tools Can Be Used for Criminal Activity
Beyond scams, there are other ways to leveraging AI for criminal exploitation. For instance:
- AI tools can be used for drug trafficking operations on the dark web to sell illicit drugs. AI can also help traffickers avoid detection while drugs are being transported.
- AI can be utilized to file false ownership records. Consequently, it can aid criminals in advanced money laundering operations.
AI-enabled crime is an ever-growing threat to the overall threat landscape. As technology advances in this new era, so does the need to become aware of the ways criminals use artificial intelligence. It will also be necessary to support the reporting of criminal activity and to know how to act to avoid becoming the victim of schemes.
The B.S. in Criminal Justice at AMU
For students interested in technology and criminal justice, American Military University (AMU) offers an online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. For this degree program, students will take courses in criminal investigation, criminal profiling, and crime analysis. Other courses include criminology and ethics in criminal justice.
This bachelor’s degree program also has a digital forensics concentration. For this concentration, students can choose from courses relating to investigating:
- Data and image files
- Hard disc and operating systems
- Network intrusions and cybercrime security
For more information on this bachelor’s degree, visit AMU’s criminal justice degree program page.
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Dr. Jarrod Sadulski is an associate professor in the School of Security and Global Studies and has over 20 years in the field of criminal justice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Thomas Edison State College, a master’s degree in criminal justice from American Military University, and a Ph.D. in criminal justice from Northcentral University.
His expertise includes training on countering human trafficking, maritime security, mitigating organized crime, and narcotics trafficking trends in Latin America. Jarrod has also testified to both the U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate on human trafficking and child exploitation. He has been recognized by the U.S. Senate as an expert in human trafficking.
Jarrod frequently conducts in-country research and consultant work in Central and South America on human trafficking and current trends in narcotics trafficking. Also, he has a background in business development.
