Numerous research groups around the world are attempting to build realistic and believable autonomous embodied agents that attempt to have natural interactions with users. Research into these entities has primarily focused on their potential to enhance human–computer interaction. As a result, there is little understanding of the potential for embodied entities to abuse and manipulate users for questionable purposes. We highlight the potential opportunities for abuse when interacting with embodied agents in virtual worlds and discuss how our social interactions with (...) such entities can contribute to abusive behaviour. Suggestions for reducing such risks are also provided, along with suggestions for important future research areas. (shrink)