Scammers get creative with AI voice cloning
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Your daughter crashed her car and calls you from a local phone number for help. A man comes on the phone and says she is now in his car, instructing you to grab your purse or wallet and start driving.
- "Don't disconnect the line," he says, threatening to kidnap your daughter. "Mom, I'm OK. I'm OK," your daughter says, sounding nervous.
Driving the news: Naheed here. A close relative received this scam call just last week. Fortunately, she was able to confirm her daughter's safety before falling deeper into the scam.
- The phone call — and the seemingly AI-generated sound of her daughter's voice — keeps playing in her head. The scammer exploited the fears of any parent.
Stunning stat: Americans reported losing almost $21 billion last year to cyber-enabled crimes. Cryptocurrency and AI-related complaints are among the costliest scams, per the FBI.
- Fraudsters are getting extra creative, using tactics such as AI voice cloning.
What happened: My relative is generally skeptical of scams but was ready to start driving out of fear that her daughter was in danger.
- Because I knew the daughter's whereabouts using a location-sharing app, I was able to drive to her house and confirm her safety before the scammer had a chance to ask for money.
- We reported the incident to police, who said there wasn't much they could do since the call probably originated from overseas and no money was sent. The local phone number was deactivated immediately after the call.
Pro tips: Come up with a family safe word or phrase that can help you verify if the caller really is your relative.
- Location sharing is another way to keep tabs on someone's safety, if you feel comfortable with it. Apple's Find My Friends worked just fine for me last week. Life360 goes further, noting location history and letting users send a "silent alert" to their inner circle.
- Though sometimes there isn't much that police can do, it doesn't hurt to report incidents to law enforcement. The FBI lets you report internet-related scams here.