Scams using the ability of AI to clone human voices are on the rise.
Technology is beautiful, except when it is used for malicious purposes. We have already seen this with the launch of ChatGPT, which some have used to code malware. And we see it again today with another AI exploited to carry out phone scams.
A voice and frauds
The scam is entering a new age: that of AI. The development of this technology indeed gives the less sympathetic spirits new possibilities to steal from the most vulnerable. This trend is illustrated by the arrival of fraud implemented using voice-generating AIs. This technology had already been talked about a few weeks ago, when the tool offered by ElevenLabs had been used to fake the voice of Emma Watson reading Mein Kampf.
Scams of this kind have already been identified across the Atlantic. THE washington post was able to meet a family whose voice of the 39-year-old son had been copied. From there, the thieves only had to phone his parents and explain that he had killed an American diplomat in a car accident, which required raising funds for his defense. Behind, the frightened couple was able to have someone on the phone who had the same voice as their son and who confirmed this need. $15,000 was eventually sent to the crooks, a sum that never reappeared.
Scammers hard to track down
Unfortunately, once the funds are sent, the offenders are almost safe. In this couple’s case, the money was turned into bitcoins before disappearing. The authorities must then look for the needle in the haystack during their investigation, the thieves needing only a mobile phone that they can use absolutely anywhere in the world. So, which jurisdiction to entrust the task to?
This difficulty is coupled with a disconcerting ease of carrying out the scam. There is no longer any need, as was the case a year or two ago, for a lot of recordings to recreate a voice. ” If you have a Facebook page… or if you recorded a TikTok and your voice is there for 30 seconds, people can clone your voice “, explains the professor at the University of Berkeley Hany Farid.
Source : The Washington Post
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