The technique involves scammers capturing even a short audio snippet—such as a simple greeting—and using artificial intelligence to generate a highly realistic digital replica of a person’s voice.
This synthetic voice can then be deployed to impersonate the victim in calls to family members or friends, often fabricating emergencies to solicit money transfers.
Rachel Rickard Straus, the article’s author, described her personal strategy: when a call comes from an unknown number, she remains silent until the caller identifies themselves.
She acknowledged the awkwardness, noting it “feels horribly discourteous” in legitimate situations, such as calls from her doctor’s surgery. However, she believes the precaution is justified. “I hope that by not sharing my voice, it will be slightly harder for scammers to gain access to it and exploit it,” Straus stated.
This shift in behavior reflects broader warnings about the escalating threat of AI in financial crime. A recent Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) report highlighted the dangers, stating: “AI will amplify fraud and cyber risks by 2030. They will become faster, cheaper, more scalable and more persuasive.”...<<<Read More>>>...
