Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
Scammers are putting a new twist on old scams by incorporating artificial intelligence into their schemes. Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) has previously reported on “deepfake” scams and new technology, such as voice, video, and artificial intelligence (AI) software, being used to perpetuate fraud. BBB previously told seniors to verify any strange or unusual messages they received through a secondary method, such as a phone call or email. Now that simple advice is no longer enough.
Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report about scammers specifically targeting family members using voice cloning technology. It’s a new twist on the “Grandparent Scam.” The Grandparent Scam is a well-known extortion scheme involving a telephone call or message from someone posing as a grandchild who has gotten into trouble. Oftentimes, these are traffic accidents, medical issues, or legal problems. Callers will plead for the recipient not to tell their mom and dad and to send them money immediately.
Scammers often use the name, nicknames, and likenesses of grandchildren based on information pulled from social media posts. New scams are taking this process one step further and are using audio clips from videos uploaded on Instagram and TikTok to create new content in voice-cloning programs. These cloned audio pieces sound like the real person and can easily trick an unsuspecting victim.
BBB is providing the following advice for consumers who may be at risk of receiving a grandparent scam call:
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- Confirm Identities – Make sure you know who you are speaking with. Since deepfake and AI technology have progressed so far, so quickly, use different and multiple methods to confirm a loved one’s identity. Make phone calls to known numbers and send messages to confirmed emails and social media accounts.
- Watch and Listen Closely – Fake audio or video might include choppy sentences, unnatural or out-of-place inflection, odd phrasing, or background sounds that don’t match the speaker’s location. These are all red flags and signs of a fake.
Be Careful What You Post Online – Stay alert to the possibility of impersonation. Make sure your family knows about deepfakes, and tell everyone to use caution when posting things publicly.
Have additional questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.241.7678 or [email protected]. Have a scam to report? Report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker.
