‘Layers of deception’: Federal agencies warn about AI scams
CLEVELAND (WJW) — She picked up the phone and heard her daughter scream. Then a stranger demanded money.
It’s a scam getting more effective thanks to artificial intelligence. A local family, who requested their names be withheld, nearly fell victim because the scam preyed on her love for her child.
“She answers the phone … it was immediately what sounded like me screaming for help,” said the victim’s daughter.
It’s a call the victim wouldn’t typically take at work but the Willoughby number was familiar enough to answer.
“She claims it was definitely my voice,” the woman said. “I said it couldn’t have been someone generic? She said no, ‘it’s definitely you screaming for help screaming, Mom help me’ and then a man came on the phone and said if we don’t get money from you we’re taking your daughter to Mexico, she’s tied up, terrible, terrible things.”
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This National Consumer Protection Week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is alerting the public about the new sophisticated version of the “Grandparents Scam,” where a scammer impersonates a loved one. Artificial Intelligence is being used to “clone” audio of a loved one’s voice and then use it to scam.
“Her friend was next to her and immediately realized it was a scam and so she got her phone and called me to make sure that the real me is okay and then my mom hung up the phone,” the victim’s daughter said.
Representatives from the FBI, Better Business Bureau, Ohio Attorney General’s Office, FTC and Department of Justice, part of the Cuyahoga County Scam Squad member agencies, gathered to share scam prevention techniques Tuesday. Including advising the public to create a family password, to quickly determine if a request for money is legitimate or a scam. Experts recommend never sending or handing over money in a high-pressure situation.
The FTC reports more than 10 billion reported lost nationwide due to scammers last year. In Ohio, more than 150 million was reported lost. Jon Steiger, the Director of the Federal Trade Commission East Central Region said it’s the tip of the iceberg.
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“It’s really giving a new flavor to scams a new way to scam people,” said Steiger. “We’re also seeing things where A.I. is taking video audio that people are putting on the web, social media and they can use just a little snippet of someone’s voice and then use A.I. to have them say whatever it is that the scammer wants them to say.”
Rebecca Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio said prevention is key to stopping these crimes. Lutzko said federal agencies will never request cash, gold bars, or cryptocurrency or demand to meet in person to exchange money. She cautioned people to save any evidence that could be used to prosecute a scammer, including text messages and pictures.
Victims are encouraged to report fraud in order to investigate bad business practices, and scams.
“Scammers unfortunately are getting more and more sophisticated as we move along they have multiple layers of deception,” Lutzko said.
A deception that nearly swindled a mother, terrified for her daughter’s safety.
“I got a call a few weeks ago and it was a scammer they probably got enough voice out of me to clone it and make it sound like it’s me in distress,” said the victim’s daughter. “Really, really scary stuff.”
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