As much as we love technology for making our lives easier, it also has its downsides.
Unfortunately, scammers are getting smarter and more advanced, and they're using artificial intelligence (AI) to trick people into believing that their loved ones are in danger.
It's a heart-wrenching scenario that many of us fear: receiving a call or message from someone claiming to be a family member in trouble.
They may say they are in a car accident, or they have been kidnapped, or they need money for a medical emergency.
However, in reality, it's all a scam, and the person on the other end of the line is not who they claim to be.
This happened to TikToker Eddie Cumberbatch. He explains how his grandparents received a phone call from him claiming to be in a bad car accident.
However, this was not him at all. Eddie explained: "I do not own a car, I have never driven a car in the last six months. Obviously, it was not me."
He added: "The reason they thought it was me was that it sounded exactly like me. Thankfully, my dad was there to call me and verify if it was actually me."
Here's what you need to know about these scams and how to avoid them.
This kind of scam has affected people all over the world. According to New York Post, another terrible incident with the scam was when a mother from the US received a phone call from the scammers claiming that her teen was kidnapped when in reality she was simply enjoying a ski trip away.
The mum claims that the scammers used AI to clone her daughter’s voice so they could demand a $1 million ransom.
“I never doubted for one second it was her,” she said.
Similarly, TikToker Brooke Bush claimed the same voice clone scam happened to her Grandpa as scammers faked Brooke’s brother's death.
Brooke explains in her video, the scammers mimicked her brother's voice and said: “Oh, I’m about to get in a wreck,” before the phone line completely cut out.
Turns out it was in fact a scam and again the motivation was to trick Brooke’s grandpa for money.
It's important to create awareness about these scams so that others don't fall victim to them. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a family member in trouble, don't panic. Take a deep breath and try to verify their identity by asking them questions that only your family member would know.
- Be cautious of any requests for money, especially if they ask you to transfer it using unfamiliar apps or via gift cards. These are red flags that the call might be a scam.
- Talk to your family about these scams so they're aware of them. I’ve spoken with mine and we’ve come up with a password/phrase to verify each other's identity.
Remember, scammers are always coming up with new ways to trick people. By staying vigilant, we can help protect ourselves and our loved ones.
