McAfee took advantage of CES 2025 in Las Vegas to announce the “McAfee Scam Detector”. According to the American company, it is “the most comprehensive protection against SMS, email and video scams”. It is likely an evolution of Scam Protection, a solution unveiled in 2023 that used AI to spot phishing messages.
AI to detect scams
In concrete terms, McAfee uses artificial intelligence to identify potentially malicious content received by users. Whether it’s fake emails, text messages or doctored videos, the detector will “proactively flag risky messages in real time”, warning you before you have a chance to interact.
By warning targets, McAfee aims to take the wind out of cybercriminals’ sails. Once warned, users should be wary of clicking on a phishing link that pretends to be a delivery company or other reputable company. In fact, they will not fall into the trap set by hackers, which should dry up the scammers' finances.
A teaching AI
The tool "warns you of scams before they can cause damage, helps you keep control of your personal information and helps you acquire the skills needed to permanently outwit scammers,"says Steve Grobmam, McAfee's chief technology officer. After detecting a threat, McAfee will take the time to explain to you why content has been identified as dangerous.
The Scam Detector will notably monitor your inbox for a suspicious email. In the event of a threat, the AI will warn you before you can even click on it. The same goes for your text messages. You will be warned before you have time to read it.
A built-in deepfake detector
Finally, the Detector includes the “Mockingbird Project”, which resulted in the creation of the “McAfee Deepfake Detector”. This software is designed to analyze in real time, in the background, all audio and video content present on a computer in order to detect potential deepfake content.
As McAfee points out, the number of online scams targeting French people has exploded in France over the last twelve months. Exploiting the countless data leaks of last year, cybercriminals have intensified their attacks against Internet users living in France. More than half of French people have been the victim or know a victim of an online scam.
The detector will be available in the spring of 2025 for all McAfee+, McAfee Total Protection and McAfee LiveSafe customers. This new feature is completely free for McAfee customers. The cherry on the cake is that it works on all your devices, including your smartphone and your computer.
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