ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Scammers Use 'Voice Clone' to Dupe Elderly in 'Grandparent Scam' | "It Sounds Just Like You, but It's Not You"

Scammers are primarily targeting the less tech-savvy demographic, mostly the elderly, who are unaware of such technology.
UPDATED AUG 24, 2023
Cover Image Source: Pexels | Cottonbro Studio
Cover Image Source: Pexels | Cottonbro Studio

Scammers are now using advanced technology to scam unsuspecting citizens into paying them money and revealing personal details. The latest string of scams involves con artists using Artificial Intelligence technology to mimic the voices and/or facial features of people to trick their family and loved ones. "It looks just like you. It sounds just like you, but it's not you," tech expert Craig Agranoff told CBS12.

Image Source: Marcus Aurelius/Pexels
Image Source: Marcus Aurelius/Pexels

Scammers are primarily targeting the less tech-savvy demographic who are unaware of such technology. The target demographic mostly includes older people, thus, it's called the 'Grandparent Scam.' The scam was reported by Attorney General Ashley Moody who announced the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit for Florida earlier this month.



 


What is the 'Grandparent Scam'?

Attorney General Ashley Moody also launched a new Summer Scams Series called Tech Traps to spread awareness of how fraudsters use technology to fool people. The first feature in the series is the ‘Grandparent’ scam, which involves imposters who claim that they have kidnapped a family member like their grandchild or any other loved one. Scammers use sophisticated algorithms and voice-synthesis technology to mimic human voices to fool people into believing a phone call is from a known individual or a loved one. Using the new technology, the scammer pretends to have kidnapped a family member in an attempt to coerce them to give ransom money.



 

Apart from grandparents, people are also getting scammed on dating scams through catfishing scams as well, according to Agranoff. Over 42,000 Floridians lost a combined total of more than $844 million in 2022 to cybercrime, as per the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. To help people get justice and spread awareness against such scams, Attorney General Ashley Moody established the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit for the state of Florida. On the portal, citizens are warned about new scams which target people using technology.

Scammers are using Smart TVs 

Another new scam shown on the website portal of the unit involves the use of Smart TVs to fool people. The scammers show pop-up messages on the victim’s smart TV and try to gain remote access to the device once the user clicks on them. Then they steal personal or financial information stored in the online account on the device. The scheme usually starts with a pop-up appearing on a smart TV, which has instructions to call tech support or to visit a website to fix an issue with their smart TV. As soon as the users click on these links, malware is downloaded in the system or they are asked to pay a fake fee or even give up personal information.



 


How to be safe from such scams?

Even though scammers are using advanced technologies to fool people, there are ways to stay protected from such fraud. One way to ensure safety is to double-check the information given by the scammers. Asking personal questions that only the supposed loved ones could answer is another way to verify their identity. Further, people should be wary of any urgent requests, especially when money is involved.

Image Source: Pixabay
Image Source: Pixabay

For victims of cyber fraud, the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit recommends:

1. Securing devices and changing all passwords

2. Collecting and preserving evidence by taking screenshots

3. Immediately report the crime to FDLE’s Computer Crime Center

4. Notifying the bank and credit card company and monitor accounts to check for identity theft

5. Updating all antivirus, firewall, and security software.

The Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit is a team of criminal and civil attorneys who work with Florida Department of Law Enforcement analysts and other law enforcement agencies. The unit is already working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and law enforcement on cybercrime investigations across the state to help victims of cybercrime get justice and spread awareness on how to be safe from fraud and prevent cybercrime.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The old painting turned out to be an early piece from the renowned artist David Hockney.
7 hours ago
The player aced the tricky game of 'Gas Money' and, needless to say, she celebrated in style.
10 hours ago
Fans were shocked to see how the player couldn't solve one of the easiest puzzles in the show's history.
11 hours ago
The company, Scholly, entered the Shark Tank Hall of Fame as it gave a 60x return years later.
12 hours ago
After the contestant, Drew Carey broke the board further while trying to fix it...
1 day ago
As it so turned out, a crucial ruling from the judges led to a BIG win for the player.
1 day ago
When a guest brought a precious Charles Rohlfs chair, expert John Sollo confessed that he was nervous to appraise it.
1 day ago
The guest had no idea about the item being a Tiffany product and being embedded with a rare gem.
2 days ago
The host was baffled by the goof up that the contestant made between two words.
2 days ago
Carey showed that he has got the weapon of sarcasm, and he isn't afraid to use it.
2 days ago
Whatever the host was expecting, it was far away from what the contestant said on national TV.
2 days ago
The guest was surprised to learn more about the item he had actually found on the street for free.
2 days ago
After going through everything on the board, the player left Harvey in hysterics with his answer.
3 days ago
As it so turned out, the weird-looking floor lamp was a piece from a very famous studio.
3 days ago
Most contestants were consistently getting the answers wrong, and Harvey was worried about what was next.
4 days ago
Some claimed that they got the puzzle despite English being their second language.
4 days ago
The letter was written to a columnist in response to a piece taking a swipe at Sinatra.
4 days ago
In a special episode of Celebrity Family Feud, a WWE star decided to go for the one thing Harvey is known for.
4 days ago
Luck was shining for her as she was off to a flying start and won the car with a single card.
4 days ago
Sajak had a witty reply for the contestant who was fanboying over White during the game.
7 days ago