Scammers have long used the ploy of claiming a loved one is in trouble to convince targets to send a payment or share personal information. In a new and unnerving twist on this scam, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says criminals are using AI technology to mimic the voice of a target’s family member, so it sounds like the person is calling seeking help.
How do they do it?
The technology allows scammers to use snippets of audio, which are often readily available through videos posted to social media accounts, to clone voices for scam calls.
According to the news release, if a caller’s identity is uncertain, Raoul advises hanging up and calling the person back on a number confirmed to be theirs. Families can also choose a codeword or phrase that they can use to identify each other.
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning about voice-cloning scams, and an executive order on AI, issued by President Joe Biden in October, notes the potential use of the technology to commit fraud.
Raoul’s office has not received direct reports of AI scams targeting Illinois residents, but he is urging people to be alert.
Attorney General Raoul identified some red flags consumers should be on the lookout for to avoid common scams:
- Scammers Come to You. They may send you an unsolicited email or text message, call you or knock on your door. Be wary if someone you didn’t contact is reaching out to sell you something or asking for personal information.
- Scammers Pressure You to Act Quickly. Their goal is to get you to send payment before you get a chance to think about it or discuss it with a trusted family member or friend.
- Scammers Want Your Personal Information. They may claim to be the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, your electric provider, a bank, or anyone you might trust. If you are a customer, these entities already have your information and don’t need you to provide it. If they are legitimate, they have specific and familiar ways to contact you or request payment.
- Scammers Want You to Pay in Unusual Ways. They may ask you to buy a gift card and read the numbers, wire money, set up a cryptocurrency account, or use a peer-to-peer app to send money directly to them. Once you read the numbers from the card, wire the money, or hit send on that peer-to-peer app, it is nearly impossible for you to get that money back.
- If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is. Scammers often make you an offer that sounds too good to be true, then use that bait to ask for an upfront payment or personal information before they can “close” the deal.
If you believe you have been the victim of fraud, Raoul encourages you to file a complaint on the Attorney General’s website.