AI voice cloning scams on the rise

July 18, 2023 - TuxCare PR Team

According to IDIQ’s IdentityIQ 2022 Scam Report, there has been a surge in AI voice scams enabled by AI voice technology. Scammers are now able to create astonishingly realistic voices, seamlessly impersonating family members, friends, and even trusted individuals.

Scott Hermann, the CEO of IDIQ and a well-known specialist in cybersecurity and finance, is deeply concerned about this development. He goes on to say that AI voice cloning schemes entail scammers employing advanced technology to duplicate people’s voices, which are frequently taken via social media. They then contact unsuspecting victims, posing as someone they know and trust. Scammers convince their victims that their loved ones are in danger and encourage them to pay money, expose personal information, or participate in other risky behavior by misleading and manipulating them.

These crooks operate by duping victims into believing they are speaking with a family member who wants money aid for a variety of reasons, such as covering vehicle accident damages or paying a ransom for an abduction. To produce an amazingly identical voice clone, the crooks just need a 20-second voice clip, which is frequently obtained through social media.

Hermann adds that these con artists work in highly sophisticated organizations that are typically situated overseas and operate from office buildings. Voice-cloning frauds are relatively recent, with IdentityIQ reporting an increase in cases in the last year.

The Federal Trade Commission also warned about the use of AI in these scams, saying the technology has become so sophisticated that even a mother can’t tell the difference between her own child’s voice and a machine-generated one, which scammers exploit for their criminal activities.

To protect themselves against AI voice cloning frauds, the public is encouraged to be cautious while receiving unsolicited offers, requests, or contacts. Identity verification, including the use of a designated family “password,” is strongly advised. Furthermore, safeguarding and monitoring personal information, as well as staying up to date on the newest scams and developing trends, are critical elements in self-defense.

Hermann concludes by affirming that the report aims to keep the public informed and protected against the prevailing scams.

The sources for this piece include an article in HelpNetSecurity.

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