Maine, Massachusetts, Watch Out for This Terrifying New AI Scam

It seems like every few days, we are hearing about a new way that scammers are trying to take advantage of us.  Even though these scams are constantly getting more sophisticated, they are usually easily recognized as scams.

For example, that random Facebook message from an acquaintance who is asking that you be one of their ‘trusted’ backup contacts for a new text messaging service.  It may be believable if you and the person were closer, but not when it is someone that you only message with a few times a year.  Clearly, this is a scam designed to take over your phone.

Sadly, thanks to artificial intelligence technology, some of the newer scams are difficult to recognize as being scams.

The new deep fake scam

Picture this: It is the middle of the night and you are fast asleep.  You’re awakened by a phone call.  Before picking up the phone, you look to see who could possibly be calling you at 2 AM.  It’s your sister.  The second you pick up the phone, you hear her screaming and yelling.  There is no mistaking her voice.  It is definitely your sister.  Then, a man comes on the phone saying that if you don’t do exactly what he tells you to do, your sister will be killed.

Of course, this leads to the scammer asking for money to be given to them in some untraceable way.  Gift cards, for example.

The truth is, thanks to AI technology, the voice is not that of your sister.  Instead, it was a deepfake.  Your sister was never in any danger, but asleep in her bed like you had been minutes earlier.

Scary, right?

As crazy as this story is, things like this have been happening for the last few years, and as AI technology becomes more accessible, it will likely happen a lot more in the future.

How do you protect yourself from similar scams?

According to Kim Komando, there are some ways you can protect yourself from this devious scheme.

If you get a call at a strange time or from a number you do not recognize, don’t speak after answering.  Let the other person speak first.

Get your personal information off 'people search' websites.

Because many of these scams rely on AI-generated deepfakes, the biggest thing you can do to protect yourself is limit the places where your voice can be heard.  The artificial intelligence needs a sample of your voice to create a fake version of you.  Kim Komando recommends ditching your personalized voicemail prompt and deleting social media videos where you can be heard speaking.

The Federal Trade Commission website has more tips to protect yourself from a variety of scams.