AI & Deepfake Scams
A 30-second voice sample is enough to clone anyone. Scammers now call parents with a weeping 'child' begging for bail money, or spoof CEO video calls for wire fraud. The technology gets cheaper and more convincing every month.
How it worksThe anatomy of the scam
Every case follows roughly the same playbook. Recognize the pattern, stop it early.
1. Voice or video harvest
Scammers pull audio from TikTok, YouTube, Instagram stories, or LinkedIn videos.
2. Training the clone
Commercial AI tools need only 10-60 seconds of source audio to produce a convincing clone.
3. The call or video
A distressed family member calls. A CEO appears on a 'Zoom' asking for an urgent wire transfer.
4. Urgency and isolation
'Don't hang up. Don't tell anyone. I need this now.'
5. The transfer
Money moves before verification is possible.
Warning signsRed flags to watch for
If you're seeing two or more of these, assume it's a scam until proven otherwise.
Refuses a callback
'I can't talk long — just send it.'
Urgency + secrecy
The two universal scam tells.
Unusual payment method
Crypto, gift cards, or wire to new accounts.
Protect yourselfDo this. Not that.
✓ Do
Agree on a family 'safe word' now. Require it for any emergency call.
✗ Don't
Don't trust a voice on the phone — even if it sounds exactly right.
✓ Do
Always hang up and call back on a known number before sending any money.
✗ Don't
Don't post long voice recordings of yourself or your children on public social media.
RelatedIf this happened to you, also check
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