Fraudsters are taking advantage of cutting-edge AI technology, and it’s time we all start paying attention. According to shocking new research from Starling Bank, over a quarter (28%) of UK adults have been targeted by AI voice cloning scams in the past year alone. The worst part? Nearly half (46%) of Brits don’t even know these scams exist, leaving them wide open to being tricked.

The terrifying thing about AI voice cloning is that criminals only need three seconds of audio to mimic someone’s voice¹. That’s right, just a few seconds of your voice – maybe from a video on social media – and fraudsters can sound exactly like you or your loved ones. Once they’ve cloned your voice, they’ll call or leave a message for your family, sounding desperate, asking for money urgently.

Amazingly, nearly 1 in 10 people said they’d send money even if the call seemed a bit off. That’s millions of potential victims! Yet only 30% of us know what to look for when it comes to these scams¹.

So what can you do? One technique could be to establish a secret ‘Safe Phrase’ with your close family and friends, something that only you and they know – this way, if you ever get a strange call from someone claiming to be a loved one, just ask for the phrase. If they can’t say it, it’s probably a scam.

Starling has even enlisted the help of actor James Nesbitt, whose voice was cloned to show just how real the threat is. “Hearing my own voice cloned was a real eye-opener,” he admits. “I’ll definitely be setting up a Safe Phrase with my family.”¹

In a world where fraud is on the rise, and financial fraud cases are skyrocketing, it’s crucial to stay alert.

Sources

1. Starling Bank (2024) AI voice cloning scams could catch millions out. Available at: https://www.starlingbank.com/news/starling-bank-launches-safe-phrases-campaign/ [Accessed 19^th September 2024].

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