AI Voice Scams Are On The Rise. Here's How To Protect Yourself
AI Voice Scams Are On The Rise. Here's How To Protect Yourself
Megan Cerullo Updated Tue, December 17, 2024 CBS News
Artificial intelligence-enabled voice cloning tools have made it easier for criminals to mimic strangers' voices and dupe victims into handing over large sums of money.
For example, a scammer might target a victim posing as their grandchild and claiming they require cash — fast. Older people who might not be as familiar with new technologies such as AI can be particularly susceptible to these types of scams, particularly when the caller on the other line sounds identical to a loved one. Phone numbers also can be spoofed to mimic those of callers known to the target of voice cloning scams.
n 2023, senior citizens were conned out of roughly $3.4 billion in a range of financial crimes, according to the FBI data. The agency recently warned that AI has increased the "believability" or criminal scams given that they "assist with content creation and can correct for human errors that might otherwise serve as warning signs of fraud."
Also commonly known as "grandparent scams," a fraudster will impersonate an individual's loved one and claim they are in trouble, or need cash immediately for some sort of emergency.
"So much of it is based on psychology and hacking the limbic system," Chuck Herrin, field chief information security officer for F5, a security and fraud prevention firm, told CBS MoneyWatch. "They say things that trigger a fear-based emotional response because they know when humans get afraid, we get stupid and don't exercise the best judgment."
How To Create A Family Safe Word
The good news? Cybersecurity experts and law enforcement officials have a simple, but effective, recommendation for avoiding getting victimized by such scams: creating a family "safe word," along with a protocol for verifying a family member or loved one's identity.
That means choosing a word or phrase that can't be easily guessed. Obvious identifiers like a street name, alma mater or other information that may be readily available online are ill-advised, experts say.
"It needs to be unique and should be something that's difficult to guess," James Scobey, chief information security officer at Keeper Security told CBS MoneyWatch. "It shouldn't be something that can be researched online about you or your family. Avoid street names, towns, phone numbers and individual names as part of a pass phrase."
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