You have probably heard of or know someone who has been a victim of a family emergency scam where thieves impersonate a loved one who needs urgent help. Well now some scammers are taking advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) to clone the voice of your loved ones and make those scams even more believable.
Madison Area Crime Stoppers has some helpful tips to help you spot these scams and protect yourself from becoming the next victim:
“Did you know there is a new wave of family emergency scams that are using artificial intelligence or AI? Scammers are cloning the voices of loved ones to con unsuspecting victims into sending money, believing they are helping family members in emergency situations.
Scammers are now using AI-powered voice cloning technology to make their scams more believable than ever before. To avoid falling for these AI-enhanced scams, Madison Area Crime Stoppers advises the following:
- Don’t trust the voice: If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a family member in trouble, do not rely solely on the voice. Verify the story by calling the person back on a phone number you know is theirs.
- Establish a family code word or phrase: Consider creating a unique code word or phrase that only your family members know. If the person calling cannot provide the correct code word, it’s likely a scam.
- Be wary of payment methods: Scammers often ask for payments in ways that make it difficult to recover the money. Requests to wire money, send cryptocurrency, or purchase gift cards and provide the card numbers and PINs are common signs of a scam.
- Report suspected scams: If you believe you have been targeted by a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you have any information regarding these scams or other criminal activity, please contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014, or, on the web at p3tips.com. Individuals contacting Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.”