Dead or Alive? AI Can Now Resurrect Your Loved Ones — But Should It?

Imagine receiving a frantic phone call from your grandchild saying they’ve been in an accident and desperately need money. The voice sounds exactly like theirs. But what if it’s not really them?

Welcome to the frightening world of AI voice cloning scams!  Using artificial intelligence, scammers can imitate someone’s voice from a short audio recording, sometimes obtained from social media videos or online posts.

They then call family members, pretending to be a loved one in trouble, and pressure them to send money immediately.

How can you protect your family?

Create a family password. Choose a secret word only your family knows.
Hang up and call back. Contact your loved one using a number you already trust.
Don’t rush. Scammers rely on fear and urgency to cloud your judgment.
Never send money through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or payment apps without verifying the emergency.

Tech Talk Tip: A familiar voice is no longer proof of identity!

A simple family password and a quick verification call could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of heartache.