Sophisticated yet Chilling Scam Uses Loved Ones Against Each Other

"Help me, Mom, I'm in trouble."

How would you handle a phone call, voicemail, or text that sounded like a loved one in trouble, complete with photos?

According to the Sift website, fraudsters use the power and speed of AI technology mixed in with a sense of urgency that plays with our emotions. From writing text to generating realistic photos, videos, and audio, it's a terrifying reality to scam money from us.

According to The New Yorker, terrifying stories of scammers using AI to mimic the voices of our loved ones are on the rise thanks to legit tech created by companies like ElevenLabs.

This has become easier now that TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram store endless videos of regular people talking. You take thirty or sixty seconds of a kid’s voice and log in to ElevenLabs, and pretty soon Grandma’s getting a call in Grandson’s voice saying, ‘Grandma, I’m in trouble, I’ve been in an accident.’ ”

HOW THE SCAMS WORK

Here's just one alert the BBB received.

Received call on 1-26-24 I thought it was my daughter-in-law she said Hi mom calling to say she was pulled over driving and has a broken nose and was frantic to have me call the lawyer right away. She asked me 3 times if I wrote the name & number down. I said yes. She said she had to go right now as they are taking her. Her voice sounded just like my daughter-in-law.

Whether you receive a voicemail or phone call from a colleague, your boss, a friend, or a loved one, the instructions will always involve wiring money for a rush project or a serious, even life-threatening situation, as the above did asking to send money to the lawyer mentioned in the call.

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You may even receive info that your money transfer is complete, adding to this scam's legitimacy and prolonging the inevitable discovery that you were just scammed.

HOW TO AVOID AI VOICE CLONING SCAMS 

According to the Better Business Bureau, even more chilling is the research these scammers do to relay realistic information to the victim. Whatever you do, don't react, no matter how convincing or scary these phone calls or voicemails sound.

Take a deep breath, then call or text the loved one. Never dial the number that called you, and never call or text any other number this possible AI scam may give you.

Trust your gut and never send money if anything feels off or until you can confirm that maybe it is a true emergency.