Protect Your Family From AI Phone Scams

Scammers have long posed as relatives to trick people into sending money. Now, after years of warning about the threat of voice cloning scams, AI-generated voices are making this old scheme harder to recognize.

Local Better Business Bureau (BBB) officials are warning Americans about scammers using artificial intelligence to make familiar voices another tool for stealing money. Julie Wheeler, president and CEO of the BBB serving western Virginia, recently told local news station WFXR that the organization is seeing a growing number of AI deepfakes used to impersonate friends and family members of the target. John Morris, president and CEO of the BBB of Greater Dayton in Ohio, also spoke to a local news station about the growing threat of AI voice cloning and deepfakes.

Recent cases from around the country show how expensive these schemes can become.

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California resident Deborah Del Mastro told Fox News that she lost $5,400 after receiving a call from someone claiming to have kidnapped her adult daughter. During the call, she heard what sounded exactly like her daughter crying and begging for help.

For five and a half hours, the scammer kept Del Mastro on the phone, threatening her family and directing her to send money through wire transfers. When she finally contacted her actual daughter, who was safe at work, she realized she had been scammed.

A similar scheme recently targeted an Orlando woman who received a call from someone that sounded exactly like a friend claiming to be in jail. She handed thousands of dollars to couriers sent to her home after a supposed public defender called demanding bail money.

Scammers pull this off by feeding recordings of people into voice generators to mimic their voice. “A lot of people openly post videos [on social media], and obviously their voices are in those as well,” says Ron Kerbs, founder and CEO of AI fraud detection company Kidas.

Kerbs argues that advanced AI models have made this type of scam far more dangerous than before. Many fraudsters used to hide behind text messages or emails, but with AI voice changers and generators, “it’s easy to adopt a different identity … Now the fact that you’re hearing someone over the phone doesn’t mean anything.”

As the technology improves, scammers can also use AI to research targets more efficiently, gathering personal details — like their workplace, relationships or even recent travel plans — that make these impersonations more believable. Until a few years ago, you’d have to personally collect that information to make a convincing approach. “It used to take hours for a human to do that,” says Kerbs. “Now an AI agent can do it [for you]”.

How to protect yourself from AI voice cloning scams

Because recognizing a fake voice is becoming increasingly difficult, your best defense is to verify who’s actually calling rather than trusting what you hear.

If a caller claims someone you’re close with has been arrested, injured or kidnapped, Kerbs recommends hanging up and contacting the person independently. If they don’t answer, contact another relative or someone who can confirm their whereabouts.

Families should also consider establishing a secret word or phrase that members can use to verify their identity during an emergency. Choose something that can’t easily be found on social media.

Be especially suspicious of callers demanding cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash payments, particularly if they discourage you from speaking with anyone else.

And if someone claims to represent a bank or government agency, contact that organization directly using a verified number. Kerbs warns that scammers can even manipulate search results and advertisements to display fraudulent customer service numbers.

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