(Web Desk) - A new type of scam is on the rise - and it uses AI tools to mimic the voices of people you trust.
"Vishing,” a combination of "voice" and "phishing," is a voice-based cyberattack. Unlike traditional phishing, where criminals send emails purported to be from reputable sources, it is carried out over the phone.
Criminals call victims and attempt to persuade them to disclose sensitive details like credit card numbers and bank account information.
The scammers may pose as bank employees or customer service representatives and insist your information is needed to resolve a problem.
And a new threat makes these plots ever more convincing - the use of AI to "clone" voices.
Advanced voice manipulation tools can create realistic synthetic voices or even mimic the voices of people you know.
All a scammer needs is a video of your family member or friend, which may be readily available on social media.
The rest is simple - the audio is fed into software that generates entire sentences using their voice.
The Federal Trade Commission sounded the alarm on voice cloning attacks early last year.
"All (a 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," the agency wrote.
By utilizing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which connects calls over the internet, scammers can assign incoming phone numbers to pose as a trusted individual or organization.
Call spoofing factored into a scam that swept the Las Vegas area earlier this month.
One anonymous victim received a call that showed her bank's name on the caller ID. She was instructed to check her account, where she spotted two fraudulent transactions.
The scammers took things a step further, sending a "courier" to her doorstep to cut her credit card in half while she was still on the phone. It was a costly mistake - the woman lost out on $9,000.
To protect yourself from falling victim, you should start by knowing the warning signs of a vishing scheme.
Scammers often ask their victims to act urgently to resolve a shipping error or correct fraudulent charges. A forceful approach should raise red flags.
Always exercise caution, as a caller ID may not be enough to verify a caller's identity. Security experts recommend hanging up and dialing the organization directly.
As a general rule, never provide personal information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card details, or passwords, to unsolicited callers.