Gets close to Turing test

Date: 2007-12-12

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LONELY hearts thinking they have scored on an online dating site might be talking to a flirtbot which is only interested in stealing their ID.

Insecurity outfit PC Tools says that cyber criminals are using a really good bit of software that can mimic an online flirt, almost to the point of passing the Turing Test .

But the robot is an online honey trap designed to squeeze as much personal information out of a person which can be used in ID fraud.

The software has been seen on Russian chat forums and the artificial intelligence behind the software is so good that few have spotted what it is doing.

The cyber flirt can have 10 relationships on the go in 30 minutes and compiles a report on everyone it meets including name, contact information, and photos.

PC Tools senior malware analyst, Sergei Shevchenko, told Cnet that the software, dubbed Cyber Lover, tells you what you want to hear and can pretend to be a romantic lover or a sexual predator. It sometimes sends victims to a personal Web site, which is used to install malware.

Currently the software only works in Russian, but Shevchenko thinks that it will be released in English in February. Which of course rhymes with Valentine.

Source: http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/12/10/automatic-flirtbot-nicks

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