By Paige Freshwater
Copyright mirror
A cyber expert has issued a stark warning to all social media users about a new ‘voice copying’ AI scam. Tech journalist Spencer Kelly, speaking on BBC Morning Live, said scammers are sending highly-personalised phishing scams to social media users in an attempt to access and exploit personal information. Phishing scams typically involve receiving an email, text message or phone call that appears to be from a legitimate person or business asking you to update or verify your personal information by replying to an email or visiting a website. However, with the advent of AI technology , scammers can now mimic your voice or the voice of someone you know to make their scam seem more convincing. Mr Kelly explained: “You can now use AI to clone someone’s voice. All the system needs is a few seconds of their voice which they can find online. “[They] can make a person say different stuff and it is possible to fake someone’s face as well. This technique is called deep faking.” To pull off this scam, fraudsters will trawl through pictures and videos you have publicly uploaded on social media – – including but not limited to Facebook , Instagram , X and LinkedIn – and manipulate them using AI. “They will pull videos or photos from online and the AI will learn what you look like and they will animate you to do something else,” he added. “The scammers are using deepfake to impersonate famous people – celebrities, public figures – but also ordinary people.” He further elaborated on how these fraudsters might attempt to persuade you to part with your money, share sensitive passwords, purchase counterfeit items or take certain actions once they’ve lured you in. You could receive a pre-recorded video featuring an image of your friend asking for financial help. However, some con artists have escalated their tactics and are now able to reach out to you via a live video call – appearing and sounding exactly like someone from your contact list. He said: “In some parts of the world we’re starting to see live phone and video calls, where you are talking to a scammer but the AI is turning that scammer into somebody you know, they’re changing the voice. “We have got reports of this happening in China where people have received video calls from a ‘police officer’ threatening them with arrest unless they pay money.” He encourages individuals to remain alert while using their phones or social media platforms, stating there are several signs that may indicate you’re dealing with an AI scammer. If you’ve fallen victim to a scam and shared personal banking details, notify your bank without delay. If you’ve disclosed a password, change it immediately, along with any other accounts that utilise the same login credentials. To report a phishing scam or seek official advice, visit the National Cyber Security Centre.
