CHICAGO, Ill. – Illinois’ Attorney General is warning the public about a new method for phone scams that involves mimicking a loved one’s voice with artificial intelligence.
In the warning issued Wednesday, Kwame Raoul says scammers are using the technology to make it sound like a loved one is calling and seeking help. He says the voice is created by using snippets of videos from social media accounts that have the voice.
Raoul says the goal of the criminals is to catch someone off-guard and scare the person into sending money or other items, then disappearing.
“Getting a call from what sounds like a family member in distress is upsetting, but you may not be able to trust the identity of the voice on the line,” Raoul said. “Take a deep breath, slow down and take steps to confirm the identity of the caller, especially if they are pushing you to send a payment or disclose personal information.”
Raoul suggests if a caller’s identity is uncertain, to hang up and call the person back on a trusted phone number. He also suggests coming up with a codeword or phrase to confirm someone’s identity.
There’s red flags that Raoul says people should be aware of; including the scammers coming to you, pressuring a person to act quickly, seeking personal information, and requesting to pay in unusual ways. He also says if something is too good to be true, it most likely is.
