Study Finds AI Chatbots Recommend Fraudulent Retail Websites
A new study by IP protection firm Podqi reveals that major AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, frequently recommend 'risky' URLs to users conducting shopping research. The investigation found that in up to 15% of interactions, these models directed users toward fake websites impersonating real retailers, sites selling knockoffs, or abandoned domains that have been hijacked by bad actors. Among the tested platforms, Perplexity showed the highest error rate at 15%, followed by ChatGPT at 8%, while Google's Gemini performed best with a 4% occurrence of risky links. The findings suggest significant risks for consumers, particularly during high-volume shopping periods like the holiday season, and pose brand protection challenges for retailers whose names are being used to facilitate fraudulent transactions.
Topics: AI chatbots Consumer Protection Cybersecurity E-commerce fraud