How To Protect Yourself From AI Voice Scam Calls

Artificial Intelligence (AI) being used to carry out cybercrime isn’t new, but as AI becomes more advanced, so do the tools that cybercriminals are using. One of the most recent AI-enabled cyber threats we’ve seen is cybercriminals using voice-cloning technology to carry out scam calls. You can protect yourself from AI voice-cloning scam calls by blocking spam calls, not picking up calls from unknown numbers and creating a safe word with your family in case a legitimate emergency occurs. 

Continue reading to learn more about AI voice scam calls and how you can stay protected against them. 

What Are AI Voice Scam Calls and How Do They Work?

AI voice scam calls, also known as AI voice-cloning scam calls, are when scammers use AI to clone familiar voices to trick victims into thinking they’re someone they know like a family member or friend. If a scammer can successfully trick the victim into thinking they’re someone they know, they’ll urge them to reveal their personal information or send them money. 

Here’s how AI voice scam calls work. 

1. The scammer gathers a sample of a family member or friend’s voice by recording their voice in a phone call or taking it from videos posted on social media.
2. The scammer clones the voice using AI voice-cloning technology.
3. The scammer calls their targeted victim and uses the cloned voice to trick them into thinking they’re talking to a loved one.
4. Once the scammer gains the victim’s trust and has created a sense of urgency, they trick the victim into revealing sensitive information or sending them money.

Common AI Voice Scam Call Scenarios

Here are some of the most common AI voice scam scenarios.

Grandparent scam calls

Grandparent AI voice scam calls target elderly victims and scam them by making them believe that one of their loved ones is in danger. Typically, the scammer will pretend to be the elderly victim’s grandchild and make it seem as though they are in an emergency and need money. Since elderly victims often are not aware of these AI voice-cloning scams, they are more likely to fall for them.

Fake kidnapping scam calls

Another common scam call is using AI voice-cloning to pretend that someone the victim knows has been kidnapped. These kidnapping scam calls often target parents. Because a parent might believe that one of their children has been kidnapped, they’ll be more inclined to act fast and send money to the scammer. 

In January 2023, a mother was a target for this scam when she answered a phone call from an unknown number. When she answered the call, she heard what sounded like her daughter’s voice pleading for help that “bad men” had her, when in reality her daughter was safe and sound on a ski trip.

Fake family emergency scam call

Family emergencies are a common tactic that scammers use to convince victims to provide them with sensitive information or send them money. Using voice cloning, this type of scam call can be harder to spot. Typically, a fake family emergency scam call begins when a victim gets a phone call from an unknown or spoofed number. When the victim answers the call, they hear their loved one on the other end. Some scammers may claim that they’ve gotten into a car accident or they have been arrested and need money for bail. Whatever the emergency is, the main goal for the scammer is to get something out of it – in most cases, money.

How You Can Stay Protected Against AI Voice Scam Calls

Here are a few tips to help you stay protected against AI voice-cloning scam calls. 

Block spam calls

Blocking spam calls is your best bet to avoid receiving calls that could potentially be a scammer trying to exploit you. There are two ways you can block a majority of spam calls.

1. Check if your phone service provider offers a call-blocking service. If they do, have them add it to your phone’s plan.
2. Get a spam-filtering app. Some spam-filtering apps include Truecaller, Roboshield and Hiya.

Avoid picking up calls from unknown numbers

Even with a spam call blocking service, you may still receive a few spam calls so you’ll have to be careful about which phone calls you pick up. It’s best to avoid picking up calls from unknown numbers and there are two reasons why. First picking up a call from an unknown number increases your chances of falling for a scam. Second, if you pick up a call from an unknown number and speak, the scammer can record your voice and then use it to carry out AI voice scam calls to trick your family members and friends. 

Fact check to verify what the caller says

If you do end up answering a call from an unknown number, don’t speak first, wait for the caller to say something. If the caller says nothing, hang up the call without saying anything. If the caller does say something, but you’re not sure if what they’re saying is true, fact check it. For example, if the caller is claiming to be a family member in an emergency, text that family member using the contact you have saved for them to make sure it’s really them before taking any sudden actions.

Create a safe word

Another way you can stay protected against AI voice-cloning scam calls is by creating a safe word with your family in the case of an emergency. This way, if you or any of your family members receive a call that is an actual emergency, the safe word can be used to verify that they’re actually who they say they are. 

Avoid Falling Victim To AI Voice-Cloning Scam Calls

While AI wasn’t created to make scamming easier, scammers are using it to their advantage to carry out various types of scams and cyber attacks. Every person must understand how AI can be used against them to steal their money and sensitive information. 

Knowing about the latest cyber threats can help you, your friends and your family keep safe from becoming victims.