People often post vacation photos while they are still traveling. New research shows this habit can now be used against them.
McAfee, a company that makes antivirus software, tested how well artificial intelligence tools can identify the location of a photo. The results show the technology is far more capable than most people realize.
Researchers fed more than 21,000 travel photos into two freely available AI models. One model correctly identified the location 91% of the time. The other got it right 87% of the time.
Staff at the company also tried the experiment using their own vacation pictures. Many were surprised at how easily the AI figured out exactly where they had traveled.
How the Scam Works
Scammers use this location data to build more convincing fraud attempts. A criminal might send a text saying a bank card was flagged for unusual activity in a specific city.
Because the message names the actual place the person visited, it feels legitimate. The victim often has no idea how the scammer knew where they had been.
Vonny Gamot, head of EMEA at McAfee, explained that AI gives scammers context. That context is what makes the fake messages believable.
The photo does not need any tags or location data attached to it. The AI can figure out the location just by studying details in the image itself.
What Makes a Photo Easy to Identify
Photos with landmarks, skylines, or street signs are the easiest for AI to pinpoint. Food stalls and storefronts can also give away a location quickly.
Beach photos and hotel room pictures are harder for AI to match to an exact spot. Even then, researchers say the AI can usually still guess the correct country.
In one test, a photo of a river with trees was correctly identified as Hastings-on-Hudson in New York state. Another photo of flowers was matched to the Keukenhof gardens in the Netherlands, based on the layout and colors of the tulips.
Scammers can use this kind of detail to reference a hotel stay or a specific city in their messages. This makes victims less likely to question the message.
Steps to Protect Yourself
Security experts recommend waiting until after a trip ends before posting any photos online. Adjusting privacy settings so only known contacts can view posts also helps.
People should be cautious of any message that creates urgency, such as demands to act immediately. Scammers rely on this pressure to stop people from thinking clearly.
Anyone who receives a suspicious text or email should avoid clicking on links inside it. Instead, they should contact their bank directly using the number on their card or official website.
The research shows that even vague or blurry background details in a photo can be enough for AI to trace a location. That makes caution around timing and privacy settings more important than ever for travelers.
