Cybercriminals are now using new methods to launch cyberattacks. Given the growing availability of AI tools, attackers are now using fake AI apps. Cases have been reported involving ChatGPT, Cloud, and Gemini.
(Fake AI Apps are cheating you)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly gaining popularity. Consequently, the demand for AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Cloud, and Google Gemini is also rapidly increasing. People are now making most of their tasks easier with the help of AI. People are now taking AI's help for everything from studies to office work and even programming. But now cybercriminals have also become quite advanced. They are taking advantage of this to defraud people. In fact, they are delivering dangerous malware to users' devices through fake AI apps, which also gives them access to people's private information.
How fraud happens
For your information, this method is quite easy for cybercriminals. A user wants to download a new version of an AI tool, AI assistant, or coding agent, and in the process, they encounter fake applications that appear to be genuine.
These fake apps release malware upon installation, allowing cybercriminals to access your data. It's worth noting that this attack can even take control of your entire system.
Cybercriminals also target developers. Indeed, the use of agentic AI has grown rapidly, and it's mostly used by developers. AI agents are often allowed to read computer files, modify code, execute commands, and connect to various development tools.
In such a situation, if a developer accidentally installs an infected AI extension, package or tool, he may suffer huge losses.
Many cases have surfaced this year
According to Kaspersky scientists, approximately 92,000 malware cyberattacks masquerading as AI services were reported in 2026. Approximately 49 percent of these attacks were linked to fake ChatGPT apps, 18 percent to Cloud, and another 18 percent to Gemini apps.
Furthermore, during their research, the scientists also found over 15,000 malware samples masquerading as Agentic AI software. These included dangerous programs such as Trojans and spyware.
Be careful while downloading AI apps
Safety experts always advise people that simply checking the safety of an app after installing it isn't enough. It's also important to check the official source of any AI tool before downloading it.
Developers should pay particular attention to the permissions granted to AI extensions, packages, and agents. Companies should monitor IDE, development workspace, and agent access, as well as how external software is entering their systems.
