AI VOICE CLONING FRAUD

AI VOICE CLONING

There are numerous ways AI is utilized in daily life, like voice assistants (think Alexa

or Siri), music or movie recommendations on your streaming service, or customer service chatbots; the list in both our personal lives and industry is expanding daily. However, as with any new technology, it has been adapted for use in scams.

AI-enabled voice cloning tools are being used maliciously to mimic voices, then defraud victims. Some of the various tactics utilized are as follows:

• CEO fraud – The CEO of your company contacts you with an urgent request: he (or she) needs to pay for a company order immediately. Unfortunately, the CEO does not have their purchasing card available. They want you to use your personal account and wire money to complete the transaction and you will be reimbursed by the company. What would you do?

• Grandparent scam – Your grandchild calls you and asks for help. He is in trouble and needs money wired immediately or the situation could get much worse. How do you say no?

• Government and law enforcement impersonation – The IRS has just contacted you to say that your most recent tax return was erroneous, but you can avoid an audit, penalties and jail time by paying the difference by wire transfer over the phone. Should you agree?

Each of these scams likely have multiple red flags in common.

Here are things that you should look for if faced with a similar situation.

• Unusual contact information. You probably do not recognize the number from which the call is placed.

• There is an urgency to the call, and the caller is

not deterred by your questions, insisting you must

send the funds NOW without consulting others or

verifying their request.

• Emotional manipulation. The caller uses your

emotions to elicit a response from you. The CEO

may tell you that your actions will result in a big

promotion, your grandchild may cry and plead, and

the government employee may threaten you with

legal action.

• Unusual payment methods. The caller requests gift

cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.

• Lack or normal human sounds. The caller’s voice is

flat and has no variation in tone, or the cadence is

off. There are no filler noises like a sigh or clearing

of the throat.

• Lack of, or odd, background noises. There may be

no background noise you would normally hear, like

others talking or traffic, or the noise may be strange,

like an electronic echo.

• Repetition. No matter what you say, the caller repeats

the same or similar phrases.

How can you protect yourself if the scammers are

using a familiar voice and emotional tactics to take

advantage? You can protect your financial security

with just a few easy steps.

• Minimize the publicly available content online. If

there is very little voice content online, it is harder

for the scammer to procure samples to clone your

voice, and those of your loved ones and colleagues.

• Always verify. Create a family safe word to use in

such situations. If the caller is unable to furnish it,

it’s probably a scam. Companies should employ

a rigorous verification process that would ferret

out any such activities, with mandatory employee

training. Consult a trusted individual for advice.

• Ask questions. If the call is from a strange number, yet

the caller is known to you, ask the caller a question

that only he or she would know the answer to.

• See it in writing. For the government or law

enforcement impersonators, ask to see it all in

writing. No government agency will force you to

make a payment by phone, and definitely not with

a gift card.

Although these scenarios sound unsettling, if you

remain calm, look for the clues and take a few extra

steps with security, you can avoid becoming a victim.