VUMC employees are being targeted with the latest trend in scams using AI-generated voice messages along with social engineering techniques intended to perpetuate financial fraud.
The newest phone scams, also known as voice phishing or “vhishing”, are schemes where fraudsters impersonate trusted friends, work supervisors, co-workers or other acquaintances to deceive victims. With advancements in technology, scammers now use deepfake voice phishing and AI voice cloning to sound legitimate.
AI voice scams work by utilizing artificial intelligence to replicate voices. With deep learning algorithms it’s easy to impersonate someone’s voice to make fraudulent calls appear genuine. Scammers exploit this technology to trick individuals into disclosing sensitive information or generate requests to send money.
While traditional phishing typically involves fraudulent emails or text messages, AI-voice scams employ voice technology to mimic real people. Unlike other scams, an AI-voice scam can sound extremely convincing, making it harder to discern the fraudulent nature of the call.
The risks of falling victim to AI-voice scams are significant and include financial loss, identity theft, or can compromise sensitive personal information such as passwords, bank account details and social security numbers.
How to Spot An AI-Generated Voice Scam:
- Listen for unnatural pauses or robotic-sounding speech.
- Question unexpected requests for personal or work-related financial information.
Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself and Others:
- Verify the caller’s identity through a trusted source.
- Stay calm and avoid succumbing to pressure tactics.
- Check for inconsistencies in the caller’s story.
*Source: Trend Micro
