Ever answer a frantic call from a family member claiming a car accident and demanding a quick cash transfer to avoid jail time? Sounds like a nightmare, right? But these days, scammers are getting craftier, using artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic the voices of loved ones. These AI voice clones, created from snippets of real speech, can sound eerily convincing.
Forget about listening for strange background noises or delays in the conversation,” says Ben Colman, CEO of Reality Defender. “AI audio is getting so good that relying on those old tricks won’t protect you anymore.
The scary part? These AI voice forgeries are getting cheaper and easier to make, and even speak in multiple languages! OpenAI, the minds behind ChatGPT, just unveiled a new text-to-speech model that could make creating fake voices a breeze. So, how do you avoid falling victim to these high-tech scams? Here are some tips to outsmart the AI tricksters.
Forget Spotting the Robot: Trust Your Gut
Remember those days when scam calls were easy to spot because of the robotic voice or awkward pauses? Those days are gone. Tech companies are rapidly developing AI that can near-perfectly mimic human speech. “Forget about listening for strange background noises or delays in the conversation,” says Ben Colman, CEO of Reality Defender. “AI audio is getting so good that relying on those old tricks won’t protect you anymore.” The key takeaway? If something feels off about the call, even if the voice sounds familiar, it’s best to err on the side of caution.
Hang Up and Dial Back: The Golden Rule
Here’s a golden rule to remember: scammers can easily spoof phone numbers, making it appear like the call is coming from a legitimate source. “They can make it look like it’s your bank or a government agency calling,” warns Michael Jabbara, a fraud expert at Visa. So, the next time someone you know (or someone pretending to be them) asks for money or personal information over the phone, politely hang up. Don’t send any money! Instead, look up the real phone number for the person or organization and call them back directly. You can also try reaching out through a trusted channel like email or video chat.
Craft a Secret Weapon: The Safe Word
Looking for an extra layer of protection? Consider creating a secret “safe word” with your loved ones. This pre-determined word or phrase can be used as a verification tool during a suspicious call. “If someone claiming to be a relative is asking for money, you can ask them for the safe word,” says Steve Grobman, from McAfee. While calling back or using another communication method is always preferred, a safe word can be a helpful safeguard, especially for young children or elderly relatives who might be more susceptible to scams.
Dinner Tonight? Busting a Scam Call with Casual Questions
So, you don’t have that secret code planned with your family, but you still have a nagging feeling that something’s fishy about that tearful call about a car accident? Here’s a neat trick: Hit pause and ask a personal question.
A common misconception is that ‘it can’t happen to me
“Just throw ’em a curveball,” says Steve Grobman, a cybersecurity expert. “It can be something as simple as, ‘Hey, listen, I just gotta make sure this is you. What did we have for dinner last night?'” The key? Make the question specific. A scammer, no matter how tech-savvy, won’t be able to guess what last night’s dinner was unless they’ve been creepily stalking your social media.
Anyone Can Be a Voice Puppet
Remember those deepfake videos of celebrities making funny pronouncements? Well, that same technology can be used to mimic the voice of literally anyone, including you! “A common misconception is that ‘it can’t happen to me,'” says Rahul Sood from Pindrop, a security company. “Even a short clip of your voice from a TikTok video or a work presentation can be enough to create a clone.” Spooky, right? And it gets worse – the outgoing message on your own phone might be all the voice data a scammer needs.
Don’t Let Panic Play You
Whether it’s a heartbreaking story about a lost pig (seriously, that’s a scam) or a fancy new AI voice clone, scammers are pros at building trust and exploiting emotions. “The best scammers aren’t necessarily tech whizzes,” says Michael Jabbara, a fraud expert. “They’re just really good at understanding how people think.” The key takeaway? Don’t let panic cloud your judgement. Take a breath, and don’t be afraid to hang up and verify the situation before sending any money or giving out personal information.
