AI voice-cloning scams target Ohio residents

Scammers can use new AI technology to mimic the voice of someone you know and create a phone call or voicemail recording. That “voice-cloning” technology has recently advanced, and anyone with the right software can clone a voice from a very small audio sample.

How the scam works

The FTC has warned scammers are using voice-cloning techniques to imitate the voices of loved ones. The technology enables con artists to copy the voices of people close to you from videos they may find on social media or other sources. They can then use tools to imitate the voice of your loved one and have it appear to say whatever they wish in a call. Some voice-cloning efforts may be crude and others very sophisticated. Regardless, it adds to the scam’s confusing and frightening aspect.

You may receive a phone call or voicemail from a family member in an urgent situation, like an accident or a medical emergency. They provide convincing details and ask for money immediately via a digital wallet payment app like Venmo or PayPal. You find out later the story wasn’t true, and your money is gone.

One Ohio consumer reported to the BBB Scam Tracker they received a call from someone acting as their granddaughter and sounding like her too. The caller was crying as she said she was sick and in an accident where she hurt the other driver because she was texting while driving. The caller said she was arrested, and she used her only phone call to call the consumer.

“She asked if we could help. She needed $9,000 bond posted until she had to appear in court in two months. Also there was a gag order on her case. We couldn't tell anyone — lots of red flags for us. I asked what courthouse, what city, et cetera, and she couldn't tell us except in generalities. I challenged the legitimacy of the call, and she hung up,” the consumer reported.

How to avoid AI voice-cloning scams

—Resist the urge to act immediately. No matter how convincing a phone call or voicemail may sound, hang up or close the message if something doesn’t feel right. Call the person who claimed to have called you directly with the phone number you have saved for them. Don’t call back the number provided by the caller or caller ID. Ask questions that would be hard for an impostor to answer correctly.

—Don't send money if you are unsure about the call. If the caller asks you to send money via a payment app or a gift card, do your homework to ensure it's not a scam. If you wire money and later realize it is a fraud, the police must be alerted.

—Look at the context for red flags. Ask yourself these kinds of questions: Is the image or voice being used with pressure to take urgent action, one that seems questionable such as sending money to a stranger or through an unexpected or odd payment mechanism?

—Take a closer listen. Synthetic audio might sound a little strange too. Choppy sentences, confusing inflection or background sounds that don’t match the speaker’s location are all dead giveaways.