In the story above shared in the Washington Post, Ruth rushed to the bank to withdraw thousands of dollars, only to later learn she was duped by someone voice cloning her grandson, Brandon. Ruth told the Washington Post, “We were convinced that we were talking to Brandon.”
Advances in technology allow voices to be replicated with an audio sample taken from anywhere, including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok. A few sentences are all that's needed to translate an audio file to "speak" whatever the bad actor would like!
So how can you protect yourself from this scam? The FTC shares the following tips:
- Be constantly vigilant.
- If a loved one tells you they need money, put that call on hold and try calling your family member separately.
- If a suspicious call comes from a family member’s number, understand that, too, can be spoofed.
- Never pay people in gift cards, because those are hard to trace, and be wary of any requests for cash.