Artificial intelligence is now turbocharging a multi-billion global criminal scheme known as the “impostor scam.”
The first version of the scheme occurs when scammers call or text unsuspecting people posing as someone they know, who has a new phone number and is in a financial emergency.
But now, using AI, scammers are cloning the actual voices of friends, relatives and even children, according to a new McAfee cybersecurity artificial intelligence report.
By using three seconds of someone’s recorded voice, McAfee says AI can accurately replicate someone’s voice and start placing calls to unsuspecting victims.
McAfee cites the case of an Arizona mother who told the New York Post that scammers cloned her teenage daughter’s voice using AI and demanded a $1 million ransom for her release.
McAfee recommends that people set up a codeword with children, family members, or trusted close friends only they know, and make a plan to always ask for it when they call, text, or email for help.
The latest figures from the Federal Trade Commission show that scammers accounted for $2.6 billion in losses last year.
And the Commission has also outlined its own range of measures that people can take if they believe a scammer is on the phone.
- Resist the pressure to send money immediately. To hang.
- Then call or send a message to the family member or friend who (presumably) contacted you.
- Call them on a phone number you know is correct, not the one someone just contacted you from. Check if they are really in trouble.
- Call someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if the caller has told you to keep it a secret. Do this especially if you can’t reach the friend or family member who should be in trouble. A trusted person can help you find out if the story is true.
According to McAffee, 25% of adults surveyed globally have experienced an AI speech scam.
One in ten say they have been personally targeted and 15% say someone they know has been targeted.
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Image generated: Midway through the journey
