The creation of Google Gemini chatbots that impersonate used car salespeople and coerce people into purchasing phony cryptocurrency in order to defraud them of their money is just another example of how cybercriminals are abusing artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. In a blog post published on Wednesday, Malwarebytes Labs researchers disclosed that they had found a presale website for a cryptocurrency known as "Google Coin," which does not exist and is not being planned for release by the tech giant. Although that is concerning in and of itself, the website also has a specially designed chatbot that poses as Google's Gemini AI assistant and guides users through the process of purchasing the fraudulent cryptocurrency, ultimately forwarding their payments to the scammers.

Stefan Dasic, manager, research and response at Malwarebytes Labs, wrote in the post that the phony Gemini chatbot delivers a very polished sales pitch along the way, never straying from the goal of persuading someone to purchase Google Coin, just like a human salesperson would in a live situation. He wrote, "The bot … answered their questions about investment, projecting returns, and ultimately ended with victims sending an irreversible crypto payment to the scammers." Additionally, if a victim clicks to "buy" Google Coin, the wallet dashboard appears to be on a legitimate cryptocurrency platform, displaying balances for Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Google Coin.

In an attempt to encourage users to spend more money, the website also employs upselling strategies, claiming that bonuses will increase as users make larger purchases. But what they're paying for doesn't exist, and attackers end up with their irreversible payment. Related: Booz Allen Declares Vellox Reverser Will Be Available Generally to Automate Malware Defense According to Dasic, the attackers also created the companion chatbot to support customers during the sale process with unwavering conviction, never betraying their integrity regardless of the questions the researchers asked.

He wrote, "How tightly controlled the bot's persona was stood out during our analysis."