How AI analysis scams work
The entry point is usually an advert, often on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or TikTok, using a deepfake or a fabricated news article featuring a well-known figure endorsing an "AI investment system". The endorsement never happened.
After you enter your details, a call follows within minutes. The caller is professional, patient and well trained. They may ask to install remote-access software so they can "help you set up" — at which point they can see and operate your banking and crypto accounts directly.
- Deepfake or fabricated celebrity and news endorsements
- A call within minutes of submitting an enquiry form
- A request to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or similar remote-access software
- Help provided to open a crypto exchange account and move funds onward
- Escalating deposits framed as unlocking better AI models or tiers
What can realistically be recovered
Remote-access cases can be strong, because there is usually clear evidence of an unusual pattern of activity on the account that the bank had the means to detect. Where a bank processed obviously out-of-character payments without meaningful intervention, that conduct can be challenged.
Where funds were converted to crypto and sent on, the exchange used as the on-ramp becomes important, because regulated exchanges hold identity and transaction records.
What we do
We reconstruct exactly what happened on the account, identify which regulated parties were involved and where obligations were not met, and give you an honest view of prospects before you spend anything.
Reporting and redress in Australia
Report the loss to your bank, to ReportCyber and to Scamwatch, and to ASIC if a licensed Australian firm was involved. Ask your bank in writing to attempt a recall of the payment.
In Australia, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority handles complaints about licensed financial firms, banks and some payment providers. It is free to complainants, binding on the firm if you accept the determination, and subject to compensation caps. Where a licensed adviser or professional contributed to the loss, a civil claim may also be available alongside, or instead of, an AFCA complaint.
Warning signs of an AI investment scam
- A celebrity endorsement seen in a social media advert or news-style article
- A call within minutes of filling in an online form
- Any request to install remote-access software
- Being guided through opening a crypto exchange account
- Requests to keep the investment private from family or from the bank
- Coaching on what to tell your bank if it questions a payment