Beware of AI-Powered Voice Cloning Scams: FTC Issues Warning to Consumers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning to consumers about criminals using AI-powered voice cloning tools to impersonate people’s voices and scam money from their friends and family members. The technology can convert written text into convincing audio using a short sample of anyone’s voice. Voice samples can be obtained from sources such as TikTok videos, voicemail recordings, or even spam calls. This new method of scamming is on the rise and is a natural evolution of other scams, such as email and text message phishing scams, according to digital forensics professor Hany Farid.

To protect oneself from these scams, the FTC advises consumers to verify any calls or requests for money from friends or family members. Consumers should also avoid answering calls from unknown numbers and let the caller speak first to avoid providing an audio sample of their voice. Farid recommends establishing a code word or password with family members that can be used to verify the identity of the caller. Consumers should also be wary of requests for payment via money wire, gift card, or cryptocurrency, as these methods make it difficult to recover the money in case of a scam.

The rise of AI-powered voice cloning technology has raised concerns about potential misuse, including voice identification spoofing and impersonation. The FTC advises consumers to exercise caution and not trust voices that sound identical to those of their friends and family members. While companies like Microsoft, which created Vall-E, and ElevenLabs, which created VoiceLab, have included disclaimers about the potential risks of misuse of the technology, identity verification remains a crucial factor in preventing malicious use.