A Troubling New Phone Scam Could Put Your Loved Ones at Risk

The rapid-fire growth of artificial intelligence technology has been one of the greatest sources of uproar over the past year, and looking at the news over the last year, that’s saying something. But as the possibilities of AI grow, so too do the risks involved, particularly for those vulnerable to scammers.

Getting a frantic call from a loved one that they’ve experienced an emergency is a pretty vulnerable state for any of us, and that’s precisely what scammers are betting on. Washington authorities have reported a phone scammer using AI for a very nefarious purpose.

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Local law enforcement was notified when a phone scammer called the home of a family in Tacoma claiming to be their 16-year-old daughter. She said that she had been involved in a serious car accident and asked for at least $10,000. The call was made using a voice-cloning program.

Voice-cloning programs can use a brief audio clip to render a “stolen” version of someone’s voice, giving users the ability to fake speech. If you receive a phone call from a loved one and they ask you to wire money or otherwise send unsecured funds, do your due diligence.

In the event of such a call, try to call them back on a number you know is theirs to confirm what’s happening. And if you come across a scam like this one, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.