AI scams and cloned voices
How scammers use AI to sound like people you trust, the warning signs, the family code word, and what to do.
Scammers now use AI to copy voices and write perfect messages. Here's how to stay safe. Scammers have always pretended to be someone else. Now A I helps them do it better. With just a few seconds of someone's voice, from a video or voice note, A I can copy it. Scammers use this to pretend to be your family or friends. Here's a voice note that sounds exactly like a girl's mum. Let's find the warning signs. First, a new number, with an excuse. Mine fell in water. Second, it asks for money, to an account you don't know. Third, pressure to act right now. And fourth, it tells you not to call back. That's because a call to the real mum would expose the scam. It's probably a scam, even though the voice sounds right. Call mum on the number you already have saved.
What to do
If you get a message like this, here's what to do. First, pause. Scammers want you to rush. Second, hang up, and call the person back on the number you already have saved. Third, ask a question only the real person would know. Fourth, never send money, PINs or codes under pressure. And fifth, tell a trusted adult, and report the number.
New word: Family code word
Here's a smart idea. Agree on a family code word. It's a secret word that only your family knows. If someone calls in an emergency asking for help or money, ask: what's our code word? A cloned voice won't know it.
More AI scam tricks
Watch out for other A I scam tricks too. Perfect phishing emails, with no spelling mistakes, fake customer care chatbots, that ask for your PIN or password, deepfake video calls, with a fake face, and fake investment videos, with celebrities promising huge profits. People used to spot scams by their bad spelling and grammar. But A I can now write perfect messages, in any language. So don't judge by the spelling. Judge by the request. Is it asking for money, codes or passwords, in a hurry? That's the red flag.
Quick check
Quick check. A voice note that sounds just like your uncle urgently asks for money. What should you do? Call him back, on the number you already have. If it was really him, he'll answer. Options: Call him back on the number you already have; Send the money quickly; Reply with your bank details; Forward it to your friends.
Recap
A I can copy a voice from a short clip. Warning signs include a new number, a request for money, and a hurry. Call back on a saved number. Agree on a family code word. And judge the request, not the spelling.
Key points
- AI can copy a person's voice from a few seconds of audio. Scammers use cloned voices to pretend to be family or friends.
- Warning signs: a new number with an excuse, money to an unknown account, pressure to act now, and being told not to call back.
- Pause, call back on the number you saved, ask a question only they'd know, never send money or codes under pressure, and tell a trusted adult.
- Agree on a family code word to check it's really them.
- AI writes scam messages with perfect spelling, so judge the request (money, codes, hurry), not the spelling.
Try it: Spot the AI scam
Choose the safest response to each message.