As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more advanced every day, so do the scams that use it. One of the biggest schemes that relies on AI is voice cloning. Luckily, in this new age of AI, there is something uniquely human that you and your family can do to stay safe.
What exactly are AI voice scams?
Typically, these are phone calls or voice messages received from a “loved one” (or someone using AI to make it sound like your loved one’s voice). These messages are always distressed, urgent, or tragic. Situations can include legal trouble, car accidents, financial turmoil, and more.
Because the voice sounds exactly like your child, parent, spouse or other loved one, your instinct is to immediately react and take action to help them. That’s how you fall victim to AI voice scams.
How are voices cloned?
With just a short audio sample – taken from a video posted by a loved one online or recorded from a quick phone call – scammers can generate fake messages that sound exactly like that voice. Today’s AI needs mere seconds of audio to create convincing voice clones. If a loved one posts videos online or even just picks up a scammer’s phone call, their voice could be cloned.
The #1 prevention tactic your family can use:
It’s time to pick a safe word. In this digital age, picking a safe word for your family is something AI cannot replicate, guess at, or intercept. Here are a few tips:
- Make it unique. Pick a word or phrase that an outsider would never guess. Avoid any commonly used passwords, birthdays, pet names, etc.
- Keep it private. Share your safe word in person or via a secure channel. Never post it online or discuss it with outside members.
- Get the family on board. It’s important that all family members know the word and are aware of when it should be used (in the case of a family member receiving a phone call from a loved one in distress – that’s when you ask for the safe word).
- Practice using the safe word. Ideally, you would never need to use the safe word. However, a safe word only works if people remember it. Occasionally test your safe word system to make sure everyone recalls it.
While a safe word is an ideal first line of defense, there are additional ways to verify a caller’s identity, such as: calling them back at their trusted phone number; switching to a video call to verify their identity; and asking a secondary question that only your loved one would know the answer to.
Get creative and unique with your family’s safe word. Have fun with it! You can even turn it into a game if you want by rewarding family members for remembering the word.
Stay safe against scams out there and join us again for future Fraud Fridays.