How AI is Changing the Face of Fraud and Why You Need to Be More Careful

Artificial intelligence has brought many benefits to our lives, but it has also opened the door to a new generation of fraud that is far more persuasive than ever.

The voice you know

One of the most dangerous phenomena of recent years is so-called voice cloning, a technology that can make a convincing copy of the human voice on the basis of a short recording. Scammers are increasingly using it in combination with emotional scenarios. For example, a son imprisoned abroad, a granddaughter after a car accident or a friend in need calls you. The tone of voice, the way of expression, even the characteristic verbal turns, all this can be imitated by AI.

This type of attack is referred to as family scam or grandparent scam in the professional community and has seen a significant increase in recent years. According to several European cybersecurity reports, emotionally manipulative calls are among the most effective methods used by current fraudsters.

Why are we vulnerable to these frauds?

We respond differently to the voice than we do to the written text. When we hear someone close to us in distress, reason goes into the background and we want to help them quickly. That's exactly what fraudsters are counting on. They create time pressure, prompt immediate action and prevent the victim from verifying the situation in other ways.

There is also a lot of information that people share about themselves on social networks. Names of family members, photos of holidays, mentions of life events. All this information can be used by fraudsters to make their scenario appear plausible.

How to defend yourself

Cybersecurity experts recommend a number of principles. First of all, never act hastily on a single phone call. Call back to the person's number and check the information in another way. Never provide sensitive information or money without thorough verification of the caller's identity. It's also important to keep track of what you post online about yourself and your family.

A simple and effective step is to agree on a control question in the family. Thus, the question to which only the real member of the family knows the answer, not the person who only imitates him on the phone. The answer should not be traceable on social networks or derived from publicly available information.