ARTIFICIAL intelligence is being used by scammers to steal cash over the phone, cyber-experts have warned.
Thankfully there are several tricks that can help you stay ahead of the crooks.
Cybersecurity giant McAfee has published a memo on these sinister AI cons.
Crooks will use AI to impersonate a friend, colleague or family member on a phone call.
All they need is a few seconds of someone’s voice to convincingly imitate an unwitting person.
“In Arizona, a fake kidnapping phone call caused several minutes of panic for one family, as a mother received a demand for ransom to release her alleged kidnapped daughter,” a McAfee cyber-expert explained.
“On the phone, the mother heard a voice that sounded exactly like her child’s, but it turned out to be an AI-generated facsimile.
“In reality, the daughter was not kidnapped. She was safe and sound.”
Trying to make you “panic” is a common tactic for these scammers, cyber-experts say.
But AI voice scams can take many forms – so learning the signs that you’re being hoodwinked is important.
How to avoid AI voice scams
Staying calm is very important when you get a call from someone who claims to be in trouble, the McAfee cyber-expert advised.
This will allow you to properly analyze their voice.
There are three things that you need to look out for.
“AI voice technology is incredible, but there are still some kinks in the technology,” McAfee’s memo explained.
“For example, does the voice have unnatural hitches?
“Do words cut off just a little too early?
“Does the tone of certain words not quite match your loved one’s accent?
“To pick up on these small details, a level head is necessary.”
A fourth trick can also save you from this kind of attack.
Consider coming up with a family “password”.
It only takes a few seconds to come up with one – and could save you from a financially devastating scam.
McAfee said: “Agree on a family password.
“This can be an obscure word or phrase that is meaningful to you.
“Keep this password to yourselves and never post about it on social media.
“This way, if a scammer ever calls you claiming to have or be a family member, this password could determine a fake emergency from a real one.”
