Use of artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere now, including a new trend of AI phone scam calls in which technology is used to mimic familiar voices to fool your family and friends, warns Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green.
“The Golden Valley Police Department has taken several reports from residents who have become victims of such scams,” says Green. “We don’t know if AI was used in these incidents, but we want to get the message out so people are aware.”
And it's not just recordings, Green explains. “It's possible for scammers to fake voices on a live talk-back call, making it seem more real. Everybody has to know this technology is not in the future. It's here today and it doesn’t cost a lot for a scammer to do.”
To prevent scammers from using your voice, think twice before posting videos on social media, and use the automated voicemail greeting on your phone instead of your own voice, Green says. There are also ways to detect voice-cloning scam calls. Be suspicious if the caller:
- contacts you out of the blue
- pressures you to act immediately and doesn’t give you time to think
- urgently requests money and specifies a wire transfer, gift card, payment app, or cryptocurrency (which make it nearly impossible to get a refund)
- asks for personal or private information
- tells you to keep their request a secret
If you suspect you’re receiving a voice-cloning scam call, Green advises to ask questions and not panic, to be skeptical, and to immediately hang up and call the family member or friend at their trusted number.
“With technology advancing every day, fighting AI-related fraud is proving to be difficult,” Green adds. ”We are getting this message out to everyone to think twice before you send money or go to your bank and make a large withdrawal that’s going to cost you for years to come.”