LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)– Con-artists are taking scam calls to the next level using AI voice cloning.

Scammers are mimicking the voice of your family and friends using AI technology, calling you and scaring you into sending them money. Kathryn Mobley, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana, said they take a little bit of audio and clone the voice.

“It probably frightens a lot of people because you get a call from somebody….”Mobley said. “And it sounds just like them, but it’s all through AI.”

In the phone call, con artists will pretend to be family or friends, telling you they are in danger and need your help in the form of money.

Mobley warns that scammers will ask for your bank information or for you to transfer money.

“Anything where you could easily transfer money, you can’t really get it back,” Mobley said.

She advises to create a code word with your family and friends. When scammers ask for your money, you ask them for the code word. If they don’t know it, they aren’t who they’re claiming to be.

Another way to know if the caller is really who they claim to be is to call them back. Dial the phone number yourself.

“Call the actual number. Don’t call what shows up on your phone,” Mobley said. “If you thought it was your brother, call your actual brother back.”

Here’s how to avoid voice cloning scams:

• Resist the urge to act immediately. Hang up, then call the person who they claimed to be. Because scammers can disguise their caller ID, don’t call back the number. Redial the phone number yourself.
• Don’t send money when in doubt. It is a red flag when they ask for money via a digital wallet app or a gift card.
• Secure your accounts. Set up multifactor authentication for all of your logins to make sure your accounts are safe.

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