New scam uses Artificial Intelligence to clone voices of loved ones and take your money
The Better Business Bureau says this newly advancing technology has scammers cloning voices of your loved ones pretending to need help and money. (WSBT file photo)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) —
There is a new scam alert you need to know about, and it involves AI.
The Better Business Bureau says this newly advancing technology has scammers cloning voices of your loved ones pretending to need help and money.
We have all heard of the typical email scams but imagine getting a phone call from someone claiming to be a loved one needing help.
As it turns out, it’s a scammer using AI to deceive you.
The%20Better%20Business%20Bureau%20says%20this%20newly%20advancing%20technology%20has%20scammers%20cloning%20voices%20of%20your%20loved%20ones%20pretending%20to%20need%20help%20and%20money.%20(WSBT%20file%20photo)
When a loved one is seemingly in trouble, there’s little doubt you’d be willing to help them out… But what if it turned out to be an AI generated voice?
That is the harsh reality the Better Business Bureau is now warning the public about.
Scammers are using new AI technology to mimic the voice of someone you know.
At work, you could get a call alleging to be your boss requesting you to send money to a vendor for a project.
Or, at home, a loved one saying they are in trouble and need money sent to them. It’s a tricky and convincing scam.
“It triggers an emotional response they are afraid something is actually happening to a loved one,” said Rick Walz, Better Business Bureau- CEO and President.
BBB officials say voice cloning technology has recently advanced and scammers only need 3 seconds of your voice to mimic it.
Which comes easy for them as more than half of adults share their voice at least once a week across social media platforms.
“77% of these victims say that they’ve lost money as result of the call with more than a third it’s cost them over $1000 and over 7% con out of between five and $15,000,“ said Walz.
Although it is difficult to differentiate what may be real or AI, there are some things you can do to protect you and your hard-earned money.
“Set a verbal codeword with your family. Your kids, your family members that only they will know so make a plan to ask for that if they call text or email asking for help,” said Walz.
And no matter how convincing a phone call or voicemail may sound, hang up and call the person who claimed to have called you and confirm it was them.
“If it’s a call text or email from an unknown sender or even if it’s from a number, you recognize Stop pause, and think does it really sound like them? Would they ask this of me,” said Walz.
Whether you’ve lost money or not, officials advise reporting any scams to the BBB’s Scam Tracker and your local police department… a move that can protect others from similar scams.
