Deepfake voice scams targeting businesses and the general public

Picture this: you get a call from your child, they're scared, and you can feel your panic rising. Someone else then comes on the line threatening to kill your child unless you get hold of a lot of money quickly and get it to them.

As a parent, you're likely to comply - after all, you heard your child on the line so there's no doubt that they're in real trouble.

This is the exact situation which happened to a New York mother - but it was all a lie. She had been taken in by an AI deepfake voice scam - her son was safe and well, and no money was delivered to the criminals, but she implicitly believed that what she had heard was real.

The rapid evolution of AI has come with darker undertones - in this case, her son's voice had been captured digitally, and extrapolated to mimic him through AI technology. This is known as the "Grandparent" or Emergency Scam, where fraudsters call a family member - often an older person who may be less savvy - using the cloned voice, claiming they are in immediate danger, hospitalised or arrested and need money right now. It's moved on from the WhatsApp messages where you may get a text with a child saying they're using someone else's phone and need money fast, as many of us have become wary to that con. When you hear your child's voice in terror, it feels much more real.

You would be surprised as to how small a sample of a voice that a scammer needs. McAfee claims a few seconds from a voicemail, a social media video, a podcast interview or even a recording from a customer service call would be sufficient to synthesise your voice. It's then used to go vishing - click here for more the definition - and could easily hook you in, especially if scammers have got hold of other parts of your personal data like your name or address to flesh out the con.

Knowing the red flags is key. If you're being rushed, being told to not speak to anyone else, and being asked to use a payment which isn't traceable like cash, cryptocurrency or gift cards, be very wary.

Also, use codewords or phrases with loved ones - something that they can say that will prove that it's them but would be hard for a scammer to guess. Inside jokes or nicknames are a good example.

If you're not sure, hang up. It gives you time to think and speak with others, Scammers will do everyhting to keep them on the line - break that connection and they lose their edge.

While the general public is open to being caught out, it's comparitively small fry compared to the so-called whaling, where the deepfake voice scams are used to impersonate CEOs and bosses, so employees are pressured into making urgent fund transfers. An order from a perceived authority figure can force an employee to comply, especially if they are threatened with being fired. These can be huge earners for the scammers, so businesses become lucrative targets.

The sad reality is that AI deepfake voice calls are going to get even more sophisticated as the technology improves future. Staying vigilant at home and at work will make scammers' lives harder, but staying aware and avoiding acting emotionally can protect you.