Scammers Use Artificial Intelligence to Clone Voices and Defraud People via WhatsApp
A privacy protection expert warns of the growing sophistication of fraud using AI. Just a few seconds of voice recording is all scammers need to create a faithful copy.
Scammers Use Artificial Intelligence to Clone Voices and Defraud People via WhatsApp
Scammers in the Czech Republic are increasingly using artificial intelligence to impersonate the voices of their victims. Nora Kurzová, a privacy protection expert who led the data protection authority in the American state of Utah, described to Novinky.cz how these scams work and how to protect oneself against them.
Only a few seconds of sound recording are needed to create a voice copy. Scammers can then create a faithful imitation of the victim's voice and use it for phone calls or voice messages. The targets are often friends and family members of the victim, whom scammers ask for quick financial help.
Kurzová warned that the success of scams rests on three factors: urgency, authority and deviation from the norm. Scammers pressure the victim to pay immediately, pose as a trustworthy institution or superior, and exploit communication channels that the person does not normally use.
One common scenario is a message via WhatsApp from a purported friend asking to vote in a photo competition. After clicking on a link and entering a verification code from an SMS, scammers gain access to the victim's account. They subsequently send all contacts requests to borrow money, exploiting urgency and trustworthiness.
The expert warns that anyone can fall victim regardless of education or age. She has her own experience with accountants, teachers and doctors who quickly clicked on fraudulent links. However, seniors and people with lower technological literacy are more frequent targets.
In the case of suspicion of fraud, Kurzová recommends immediately contacting the bank and a data protection specialist. By changing passwords or clicking on further links, victims may unknowingly provide scammers with additional sensitive information.
Source: Novinky.cz
Source: Novinky.cz