In an age where AI is no longer a far-fetched dream but a reality, life as we know it is changing. Currently, everyone is turning to AI tools including the famous ChatGPT to do everything from research to school work. However, scammers are also jumping onto the AI bandwagon and using it to dupe people.
One of the quickly spreading scams is AI voice cloning scams. In this scheme, you get a call from a loved one claiming they are in danger and they need money ASAP. The caller sounds panicky, and worse, it’s a voice you can recognize, but is it really them?
The Dangers of AI-Generated Voices
In one of the cases, an elderly person received a call from a “grandson” claiming they have been involved in a car crash and landed in jail. The caller claimed they needed money fast but the senior citizen told the “grandson” to call his parents and hung up.
Turns out, the neighbor had also received such a call and that’s when they knew it was part of a larger scheme. Scammers are using voice cloning technology to dupe unsuspecting people.
All they need is a short clip, 30 seconds is enough, to clone your voice using AI and use that to swindle your family members. In most cases, they will use your social media clip to clone your voice.
How to Protect Yourself from AI-Powered Scammers
So, how do you protect yourself from voice-cloning scams? Here are a few tips:
- Just like other scams, avoid rushing into sending money. Always take time to respond, even though the caller is exerting pressure on you to act quickly.
- If the caller asks you to send money using some untraceable methods such as cryptocurrency or gift cards, you can be sure that it is a scammer.
- Be keen to listen to the background noises. If the caller has a good voice with little to no discernable background noise, hang up.
- Avoid oversharing personal details on social media as this has become a rich hunting ground for scammers.
- If the caller’s story has some inconsistency, no matter how small, proceed with caution.
- Avoid engaging the caller too much, as this can give them an opportunity to clone your voice as well.
- If you suspect it’s a fishy phone call, just hang up and call the person directly. It might save you money.
- Report the caller to local law enforcement or organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission.
