Experts are warning about artificial intelligence (AI) phone scams , where fraudsters clone the voice of someone the victim knows to extort money.
According to researchers, scammers are using various software, some of which are loaded with genetic artificial intelligence, to copy voices and deceive more effectively.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, this type of fraud was reported more often than any other type of fraud in the United States last year.
Read more: Voice Cloning Challenge: FTC pays for a good idea to protect against AI voice cloning
“In the last month, three families have been victims of theft, with losses exceeding $11,000. Another family was victimized and had $100,000 stolen through a phone scam using artificial intelligence,” said Tony Braun, Managing Partner at the US Special Investigations Team.
Fraudsters often use the voices of loved ones or even bosses to extract financial information. “We’re now seeing this practice in the corporate world as well, where CEOs and CFOs are being cloned to gain access to the accounting department,” according to Tony Braun.
Experts say scammers can use artificial intelligence to clone voices and phone numbers,
"Artificial intelligence is an excellent technology with the potential to bring significant benefits to our environment and society," according to Tony Braun, "However, there is also the negative side of this aspect that is abused by some for malicious purposes, without requiring computational knowledge."
Fraudsters can copy voices and obtain personal information through social networks.
“Just two seconds of voice recording can be enough to clone someone’s entire voice,” said Tony Braun. “Out of 100 people, 99 will believe that a cloned voice is the real voice.”
See also: TimbreStealer malware spreads via phishing scams
What do you need to know, according to experts, to avoid these scams?
“If you receive a call from a scammer who is using fear and pressure to obtain information or to persuade you to do something you don’t agree with, it’s not legitimate,” Braun said. “It’s also a good idea to create a personal code, a unique phrase that only your immediate family members will know. So if you receive a call from someone claiming to be in an emergency, ask for this unique phrase to verify their identity.
Source: okcfox
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