How will OpenAI’s GPT-4o image generation lead to fraud?
With ChatGPT releasing the image generation capabilities of GPT-4o, the world has gone bonkers. The Studio Ghibli trend picked up in no time and is still trending from last week. While people are enjoying such a crazy Image Generation Tool, there is a huge potential risk of several online frauds that may arise.
Amid the Studio Ghibli craze, a hidden wave of scams is lurking — are you ready for it?
Why?
This is just one example as you can see in the above screen. Any insurance company’s nightmare might be coming true very soon.
Now, tell me whether the images below are real or fake?
This is scary !!
If such a powerful tool becomes accessible to the common folks and bad elements of society, we are in for a nightmare, my friends.
A few sections that I can immediately think of that are at risk, and some common frauds that you might be hearing quite soon online, would be:
Financial Fraud
Faking Receipts Like a Pro: AI’s out here making fake receipts and invoices look legit AF. Scammers are using this to flex fake expense claims and cash out on reimbursements they didn’t earn.
Deepfakes and More Deepfakes: Imagine your CEO’s face on a video authorizing a sketchy money transfer — except it’s not them. Yep, fraudsters are cloning voices and faces to trick employees into sending stacks of cash. This isn’t sci-fi; it’s happening.
Ghost Profiles, Real Problems: Scammers are inventing whole people with AI — fake IDs, fake credit histories — then opening accounts or snagging loans like it’s nothing. Basically, catfishing but for banks.
Disinformation & Trust Issues
Fake News everywhere: AI can whip up pics so real, they make conspiracy theories look credible. Election season? Chaos. People start doubting everything, even facts.
Messing with Your Feed: Deepfakes of politicians saying wild stuff? That’s how trolls stir drama, gaslight entire communities, and low-key start riots. The internet’s already messy — this is next-level chaos.
Can’t Trust Anything Anymore: When every pic or video might be fake, we’re all side-eyeing legit news too. RIP, believing your own eyes, I guess.
Legal bodies need to rethink: The major proof of evidence is usually an image or video. Once it can be faked out, how decisions in the high court would be taken, I’m not sure.
Privacy? What Privacy?
Stealing Your Identity: AI can clone your face, your style, your everything to make fake profiles. Next thing you know, someone’s catfishing your grandma or dragging your rep.
Everyone, especially girls, should be very aware of what they post on social media.
AI porn, with your face: Non-consensual AI porn is a nightmare. Imagine your face edited into stuff you’d never do — it’s violating, traumatic, and way too easy to spread.
Phishing But Make It Fashion: Scammers use AI-generated pics to make their spam emails look ~aesthetic~. Suddenly, that “urgent bank alert” looks legit, and you’re one click away from getting rinsed.
Political & Social Meltdowns
Election Drama Unlocked: Fake videos of politicians dropping slurs or bribes? Deepfakes could swing elections, and good luck proving it’s fake before the memes go viral.
Democracy? More Like Demo-Crazy: When no one trusts videos, news, or leaders anymore, society’s just a group project where everyone’s fighting. Trust in institutions? Gone.
Dividing the Squad: Fake content fuels cancel culture, conspiracy theories, and random beef. Soon, even your group chat’s arguing over what’s real.
How to stop this mayhem?
A hard time might be coming in, but there are a few steps that you can take to avoid getting phished that easily.
1. Better systems for AI image detection
- Get better at detecting: Invest in tools that spot deepfakes like a pro — look for glitchy blinking, weird shadows, or voices that sound like a robot trying to impersonate Cardi B.
- Blockchain Receipts: Use blockchain to verify documents, receipts, and media. If it’s not on-chain, it’s fake
2. Media Literacy is the key
- Rule 1: From now on, whatever you see on social media, assume it to be false. Verify and then assume that it’s tru,e not the vice versa.
- Fact-Check: Teach everyone (yes, even your boomer aunt) to reverse-image-search, check timestamps, and question everything. “Pics or it didn’t happen” is now “Proof or it’s cap.”
- AI Education from the very beginning is very important now.
3. Regulations, But Make It Strict
- Ban Ghost Mode: Governments need to make laws against unlabeled AI content. If you post a deepfake, you gotta tag it like it’s #sponsored.
- Verify or Vanish: Social platforms should force users to prove they’re real humans (not bots) before posting/commenting. Captcha but harder — like solving a Rubik’s cube blindfolded.
4. Corporate secret codes
- CEO Deepfake Safeword: Companies need secret codes or phrases (like “pineapple pizza”) to confirm identities during video calls. No phrase? No money moves.
- AI Audit Culture: Banks, lenders, etc., should triple-check IDs with biometrics or old-school paperwork. Sorry, but your AI-generated “cousin” can’t co-sign that loan.
5. Secure Your Assets
- Password Hygiene: Stop using “password123” and enable 2FA everywhere.
- Don’t Trust DMs: Got a “helpful” message from “customer service”? Call the official number. If they’re legit, they’ll vibe with you IRL.
6. Crowdsource the Fight
- Report & Roast: Flood platforms with reports when you spot fake content.
- Fact-Check Squads: Support independent fact-checkers and journalists
These are some of the ways in which you might feel secure, but still, to be honest, the realism with which ChatGPT is generating images right now is just unbelievable, and within some time, you will see a sea of fake stuff circulating all over the internet.
Conclusion
AI image generators like GPT-4o are cool, but they’re also a ticking time bomb. Sure, they can create stunning art or fun memes, but they’re already being weaponized for scams, fake news, and creepy impersonations. Forged receipts, fake CEO videos, and AI-generated identities aren’t sci-fi anymore — they’re happening right now.
The fix? It’s on all of us. Tech companies need to build better tools to spot fakes. Governments have to step up with clear rules. Schools should teach kids (and adults) how to sniff out AI. And you? Stay skeptical. Double-check weird messages, use strong passwords, and don’t trust everything you see online.
AI isn’t going away, but if we act fast — staying curious, cautious, and loud about accountability — we can stop the worst of it. The bottom line:
in a world where fakes look real, your best defense is to never stop asking, “Is this legit?”
Scammers Are Loving ChatGPT’s Image Generator: A Tsunami of Frauds is Coming was originally published in Data Science in Your Pocket on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
