Beware of impersonation scams ahead of the holiday season, experts warn

Impersonation scams are on the rise, with tricks like fake ads that direct you to fake websites and payment sites aimed at stealing your bank information. 

Experts say these ads are only expected to worsen as we head into the holiday season. So how can viewers verify who's really behind an ad before clicking or paying?

KDKA recently reported about an Instagram ad promising a chance to work as an extra on "The Pitt," but the only way to get on the show is to go through the official casting agency. Expert Vinny Minhas said the ad worked because a recognizable show's name got people to trust the ad before they knew who was behind it.

"Unfortunately, I was not surprised, because this happens all too often," Minhas said. "The table stakes for impersonations have become all too low, just because of the sophisticated technologies out there that make it very easy to mimic a legitimate brand in a matter of a few seconds."

Convincing ads and lookalike landing pages will borrow credibility and then move consumers toward a payment request, asking for banking information. It's the same playbook that appears in fake shopping sites that will soon pop up for the holiday gift-giving season.

"Just as it's prime time for brands to seek revenue out during the holiday season, it's also prime time for scammers to get revenue as well," Minhas said. "So as they see more buyers coming into the market looking for shopping, they take advantage of those same buyers."

Minhas is the vice president of a company called Corsearch, which helps brands combat the rising wave of AI-fueled brand impersonation. He says it's happening in nearly every industry, from casting calls and job postings to fashion, skincare and even protein powders.

"Quite honestly, the reason they're investing time and money into it is it's a very lucrative avenue for them as well," Minhas said. "They're making money, and they're able to do this very quickly, and they're able to disappear in a matter of seconds."

He says the scammers trick people of all ages, not just the older population. And now with AI, scammers can do this more easily.

"All you need is a few logos, a few website online storefronts, and it's as easy as that to look legitimate and dupe someone," Minhas said. 

He wants everyone to take away three key tips.Be proactive, double-check everything and independently verify the websites. 

Don't mindlessly scroll, let your guard down and start clicking to hand over your self-populating banking info. If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. And double-check every URL and manually type the website in yourself in a fresh browser. 

"So if you see a sale run against it, I'd say verify, go to the official website before you do anything and check out," Minhas said. 

Minhas says brands are switching from defense to offense to try and protect consumers.