Emerging phone scam uses AI, police are concerned

MAMI – Scam phone calls are nothing new but a new one surfacing has law enforcement very concerned.

It involves artificial intelligence (AI).

According to police, the scammers first obtain a short audio clip of a person, which can be found on videos on their social media accounts. They then use an app that utilizes AI to clone the voice and make it say what they want when they contact a friend of the person or a loved one.

Miami police spokesman Mike Vega said it’s alarming.

“It’s worrisome to know that the technology is getting so advanced. That I can clone your voice, I can make pretend I am you and call your mom or your dad and say ‘Hey, I need $500 because I got myself into an accident,” he said.

Vega said hearing a call for help from a loved one is motivating.

“If you are calling me with my mom’s voice, my dad’s voice, my daughter’s voice, it gets your emotion, it’s like is this really her? Does she really need me? Ad your blood starts flowing and you get into it and you’re like ‘Yeah what do you need, I’ll send it to you right away,” he said.

Vega said there are some red flags to watch for:

• The caller requests gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
• They tell you not to hang up and to stay on the phone until the transfer is done
• They will tell you not to call police

He said one of the easiest things to do if you suspect you’re being scammed is to call the loved one or friend that they are impersonating and ask if they need help.

So what happens if you fall for it?

First, call your bank or financial institution. If you paid with a credit card or debit card you may be able to stop the transaction. Contact them right away and ask for a “chargeback” to see if they can reverse it. If you transferred a gift card, which is also a common request, contact the company that issued the gift card right away.

Next, report it to the police. For the scam to be labeled a crime, you’ll need to file a police report.

Also, check your computer and other devices. Scammers tend to target you in more than one way and hack multiple devices. Change your passwords, update your computer’s security software, then run a scan and delete anything it identifies as a problem.