The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a public warning about the growing threat of AI-powered voice-cloning scams. To protect against these scams, Americans are advised to share a secret word or phrase with their family members.
For example, a person could choose a unique phrase like “flibbertigibbet” and instruct their loved ones to ask for it if something seems suspicious. When making unexpected calls, people should also pay attention to the tone and language used by the caller, as scammers often use AI-generated audio to create convincing voice clips of relatives in distress.
The FBI’s warning comes as part of a broader service announcement highlighting the increasing use of generative AI models in fraudulent operations. With AI technology, creating realistic voice clones is now relatively easy, especially for those with public speaking samples available online. To minimize the risk, Americans are advised to be cautious when receiving unexpected calls from family members or strangers claiming to be relatives.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/12/your-ai-clone-could-target-your-family-but-theres-a-simple-defense