A Poway man says he lost his family’s life savings after scammers used artificial intelligence to mimic his son’s voice during an elaborate phone scam.
Glen Givens told FOX 5/KUSI that the scam began June 22 when he answered a call on his work phone from someone claiming to be a police officer.
The caller pulled Givens into what sounded like an urgent family emergency. During the call, Givens said he heard what appeared to be his son’s voice, and the station reported that scammers used AI to clone it.
Givens lost $15,000, according to the report.
The Fake Police Call Made The Voice More Convincing
The scam used two forms of pressure at once. First came the caller claiming to be a police officer. Then came the voice Givens believed was his son’s.
That combination made the emergency sound official and personal. A person may ignore a strange link or suspicious text, but a familiar voice tied to a police call can push someone to act before they can verify what is happening.
Givens said the call led him to send money before he realized the emergency was not real.
AI Voice Cloning Changes An Old Scam
Family emergency scams have existed for years. A caller pretends a child, grandchild, or other relative has been arrested, injured, kidnapped, or caught in another crisis. The caller then demands fast payment and tells the victim not to call anyone else.
The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers can use a short audio clip from online videos or social media to clone a loved one’s voice. When the scammer calls, the voice can sound like the real person.
That means a voice on the phone is no longer enough proof. A parent or grandparent may believe they are hearing a child crying, panicking, or asking for help, when the sound has been generated or manipulated.
Break The Call Before Sending Money
The FTC advises people not to trust the voice alone. Anyone who gets an emergency call involving a relative should hang up and call that person directly using a known number.
If the family member does not answer, call another relative, friend, workplace, school, or someone else who can verify where the person is. Families can also set a private code word for emergencies, but it should not be something easy to find online, such as a pet name, school name, birthday, or street name.
Payment demands are another warning sign. Scammers may ask for wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards, cash, payment apps, or other methods that are difficult to reverse once the money is gone.
If a caller says a loved one is in trouble and money must be sent immediately, end the call and verify the emergency through someone you already know.