AI Voice Scams Prompt Warning, Tips From Delaware County Police

HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP, PA — Scammers are always looking for a new way to bilk honest people out of their hard-earned money, and police in Haverford Township are warning the public of a new kind of scam.

Police said scammers are now using artificial intelligence voice cloning in their attempts to steal money.

In this new scam, crooks are using artificial intelligence voice cloning technology to impersonate people, such as family members or business associates, to trick their victims into giving away sensitive information or money.

They will fake voicemails or messages, claiming to be a bank or credit card company, according to police.

The scam works by using a synthetic voice that sounds like the person they are pretending to be, which makes it difficult for the victim to identify the deception, police said.

Artificial intelligence voice cloning is a process that involves training an AI model on a large

dataset of someone’s voice recordings.

The model then learns to mimic the speaker’s voice, tone, and intonation, and can generate new speech that sounds just like the person.

Anyone who believes they are being targeted or victimized by scammers should call 911.

Police offered the following tips to resident to help protect them from scammers:

• Come up with a code word — Agree on a secret code word or phrase with your loved ones or business associates that you can use to verify their identity. If they call and ask for help, ask them for the code word before providing any information.
• Don’t give them information right away — If someone calls you and asks for personal information, don’t give it out right away. Ask for their name and the reason for the call. If they claim to be from a company, ask for their phone number and extension, and hang up! Tell them you will be calling back and then call back from a verified phone number. Same with your friends and family. Hang up and call back using the contact information you have on file.
• Ask smart questions — Ask questions that only the real person would know, such as personal anecdotes or information about your last conversation. If the person on the other end of the line can’t answer these questions, it may be a sign that they are not who they claim to be. Ask about private information someone couldn’t pick up from social media.
• Be skeptical — If you receive a call from an unfamiliar number or person, be skeptical. Scammers often use robocalls or spoofed phone numbers to make their scams seem more legitimate. If you’re unsure who is calling, let it go to voicemail and call back using your contact information on file.