How Scammers are Using Voice Clones to Scam Millions
Author: Adam Collins
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.
Image source: unsplash.com
Report a Scam!
Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
Scam Categories
Help & Info
Popular Stories
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller. The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the
