The holiday season is a prime time for scammers to target unsuspecting Americans, particularly older individuals, with devastating financial losses. According to authorities, artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly increased the success rate of these scams.
In 2023, seniors lost nearly $3.5 billion to various scams, with AI voice cloning being a key factor in these crimes. Scammers use cloned voices to impersonate loved ones in distress, often claiming they need money quickly.
A recent case involved a St. Louis grandfather who received an AI-cloned call from his daughter’s voice. He initially fell for the scam but later established a “safe word” with his family to verify calls.
Experts warn that AI scams will continue to rise as algorithms improve the quality of cloned voices, making them increasingly believable. With millions of social media videos available online, scammers can easily access and use authentic voice samples.
To protect themselves, older Americans are advised to be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls or messages, especially during the holiday season.
Source: https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/holiday-ai-voice-clone-phone-scam