Then late one night you receive an alarming voicemail from your child. The voice sounds like his, he seems to be highly stressed. He has been involved in a car accident, and needs money urgently…
This is the latest way criminals are using technology to defraud people. By taking a tiny snippet of real audio from a person, they can “clone” the individual’s voice using freely available AI technology. From there, they can make a recording of the synthesized voice saying exactly what they want.
Criminals can record a voice from videos on social media or by calling someone and saying nothing. A victim just needs to respond with words such as “hello, who is there?” to give them material for their hoax.
Oliver Devane, a senior researcher at the online security company McAfee, says this is a sophisticated example of spear phishing, or a personalized, targeted attack.
“Having tested some of the free and paid AI voice cloning tools online, we found in one instance, that just three seconds of audio was needed to produce a good match,” he says.
“Cybercriminals will often source this information from public social media profiles and other places online where people post about themselves, their families, their travels, and so on in an attempt to cash in.
“The cybercriminal is betting on a loved one or family member becoming worried, letting emotions take over, and sending money to help.”
What the scam looks like
A phone call or a voicemail, or even a voice note, will come through on your mobile and sound exactly like a loved one or friend.
They will have been involved in an accident or they may have been robbed or injured. They will be distressed and there will be a sense of urgency.
Whatever the circumstances, they will ask for money. They may not give details of why they need the money but they will say it is urgent. They may ask you to transfer it to an account that belongs to someone else.
What to do
As with many scams, if you get a call or voicemail that asks for money, take a moment to stop and think. Does it really sound like the person you know? Are there strange speech patterns that are not accounted for by the fact that there is an emergency.
Even if the phone number comes up as coming from one of your children, this is no assurance as the number can also be faked.
“Try to remain level-headed and pause before you take any next steps,” says Devane. “Remember that cybercriminals are betting on emotions running high. They will play on your connection to the loved one and create a sense of urgency to prompt you into action.”
Call the person who it seems left the message. They may pick up and be able to reassure you that they are OK. Remember the message has come by phone, so even if there is a real emergency they clearly can reach their device and get a signal.
To prepare for the possibility of such scams, you can set up a codeword between you and your children so you know for sure when they are in trouble.
Read the full article here.
Playing on emotions is a dirty trick, but scammers have demonstrated time and again there are no limits to how low they will stoop to separate you from your hard-earned money. Don’t let them succeed! Know the red flags to look out for, and make sure you and your family have the knowledge you need to avoid becoming a victim.