AI Voice Scams Make it Harder to Spot Fraud

As technology evolves, so do scammers — and now, AI-generated voices are making it harder to tell whether a phone call is real or a scam.
The FBI reported that Americans lost more than $893 million to AI-related scams last year, including voice cloning attacks, phishing emails and other hoaxes. Voice cloning is a technique in which scammers use
artificial intelligence to replicate a person’s voice.
Scammers need only a few seconds of audio to create AI-generated
calls, voicemails or voice messages, usually with the goal of stealing money.
The fake messages often rely on urgency or distress to manipulate the
recipient into acting quickly. Scammers may impersonate a friend or family member, claiming they are in trouble and need money right away. The familiar voice can make these scams especially convincing.
If you are not sure whether a message or phone call is real, remember that it is always OK to take a minute to double-check — even if the person on the other end says it is an emergency.
Hang up and call the person directly using a number you know and trust to confirm whether they actually tried to contact you.
How can you tell if a call is AI-generated?
Double-check the source. If you receive an unusual, urgent or emotional voice message, call the person directly — or have someone else call them — to confirm whether it was really them. Check the caller ID on voicemails, but remember that caller ID can be spoofed.
Stop and think before you react. If you are scared or caught off guard, you may be less likely to notice the warning signs of a scam call. Common red flags include pressure to act quickly, efforts to convince you not to tell anyone else what is happening, or requests to send large amounts of money through cryptocurrency, payment apps, gift cards or another unusual, hard-to-trace method.
Have a “safe word” for calls. Pick a unique word for you and your family to use on the phone in an emergency. Keep the word private. If you receive an urgent phone call that seems to be from a family member and they do not use the word, hang up and call them directly.
Trust your gut. If you receive a strange call or voicemail, ask a friend or loved one for a second opinion, or check BBB.org for information about
common scams.
Reduce solicitations. Registering unsolicited phone numbers on the Do Not Call registry may help reduce unwanted calls. You may also wish to change your phone number if you frequently receive spam calls.
Limit where you post your voice online. Very little audio is needed to imitate a person’s voice with AI, and scammers can often find audio online. Consider limiting where you publicly share recordings of your voice or setting your social media profiles to private.
Report AI calls. According to the Federal Communications Commission, AI voice calls are illegal unless you have explicitly agreed to receive them or the caller is exempt. If you think you have received an AI voice call, report it to the FCC and to BBB Scam Tracker to help protect others.
Don O’Brien is the regional director for the Quincy Better Business Bureau. Contact him at [[email protected]](mailto:dobrien@
quincybbb.org) or (217) 209-3972.