Billions of Android and iPhone users warned over ‘sinister deep fake AI call’

SMARTPHONE owners have been warned about artificial intelligence voice scams that can trick you out of their money.

Using new artificial intelligence technology, scammers have been replicating the voices of random people to deceive their social circles.

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This is known as AI voice cloning and it is the latest in a string of AI-powered scams.

Voice cloning scams are basically enhanced phishing attacks in that they both trick people into revealing sensitive information.

And like phishing, the goal of a voice cloning scam is to steal a user’s banking information, identity, or passwords.

HOW DOES VOICE CLONING WORK?

Basically, bad actors locate a target, then find a short video clip of their voice on social media.

They then create a voice clone of that person and call up their family, friends, or colleagues to impersonate them. 

Depending on their end goal, the scammer may ask for money, or try to gather personal information.

THE NUMBERS

New reports from antivirus company McAfee have found that voice cloning attacks are becoming more popular.

Moreover, in one of McAfee’s studies, 35 percent of participants couldn’t tell if an AI-generated voice was real or not.

To help you stay safe from voice-cloning scams, cybersecurity experts have described some telling signs to pay attention to.

RED FLAGS 

Like with many other scams, one of the biggest indicators is someone using urgent language to get you to do something.

Someone who asks for money, goods, or financial assistance over the phone is also never a good sign.

Similarly, if a voice recording sounds suspiciously good quality, it may be fake.

STEPS TO TAKE

First, never send money to anyone you have communicated with only online or by phone.

Be careful what information you share or make public as fraudsters can use that to target you.

Also be vigilant of an individual who attempts to isolate you from friends and family, or who requests inappropriate photos or financial information as this could later be used to extort you.