Anyone can fall for an AI voice clone

AI is giving fraudsters new ways to target people. Voice cloning technology can replicate a person’s voice from as little as three seconds of audio, which can easily be captured for example from a video online, or from a phishing phone call.

Scammers can then identify that person’s family members and use the cloned voice to stage a phone call, voice message or voicemail to them. This could, for example ask for money that is needed urgently.

Starling Bank has teamed up with actor James Nesbitt to highlight the problem and suggest a ‘Safe Word’ safeguard.

The Safe Phrases campaign, in support of the government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign, encourages the public to agree a ‘Safe Phrase’ with their close friends and family that no one else knows, to allow them to verify that they are really speaking to them. Then if anyone is contacted by someone purporting to be a friend or family member, and they don’t know the phrase, they can immediately be alerted to the fact that it is likely a scam.

To find out more about the Safe Phrases campaign, follow: https://www.starlingbank.com/safe-phrases/