Is Your Kid Really in Trouble? Beware Family Emergency Voice-Cloning Scams

If you receive an unexpected phone call from a family member in trouble, be careful: The other person on the line might be a scammer using AI voice technologies to pull off an impersonation. 

The Federal Trade Commission is raising alarm bells about fraudsters exploiting(Opens in a new window) commercially available voice-cloning software for family emergency scams.

These scams have been around for years and involve the culprit impersonating a family member, typically a child or grandchild. The fraudster will then call the victim, claiming they’re in desperate need of money to resolve an emergency. 

The FTC now says AI-powered voice-cloning software can make the impersonation scam seem even more authentic, duping victims into handing over their funds. “All he (the scammer) needs is a short audio clip of your family member’s voice—which he could get from content posted online—and a voice-cloning program. When the scammer calls you, he’ll sound just like your loved one,” the FTC says in the Monday warning(Opens in a new window).

The FTC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, making it unclear if the US regulator has noticed a surge in scams involving voice-cloning technologies. But the warning arrives a few weeks after The Washington Post chronicled(Opens in a new window) how scammers are abusing voice-cloning software to prey on unsuspecting families. 

In one case, the scammer used the technology on a Canadian couple to impersonate their grandson, who claimed to be in jail. In another incident, the fraudsters used the voice-cloning tech to successfully swindle $15,449 from a couple, who were also fooled into believing their son had been thrown in jail. 

Not helping the matter is how voice-cloning services are becoming widely available on the internet. Hence, it’s possible the scams could increase over time, although at least a few AI-powered voice-generation providers are working on safeguards to prevent potential abuse.

To keep consumers safe, the FTC says there’s an easy way to detect a family emergency scam. “Don’t trust the voice. Call the person who supposedly contacted you and verify the story. Use a phone number you know is theirs,” the FTC says. “If you can’t reach your loved one, try to get in touch with them through another family member or their friends.”

Targeted victims can also consider asking the purported family member in trouble a personal question that the scammer wouldn’t know.