"Mom, send me money now": the cloned voice scam

You pick up the phone and hear your son's voice, crying, asking for money urgently. It is his voice. Really. Except it is not him.

How is this possible?

There are AI programs that learn to imitate a voice from a few seconds of audio. That birthday video, the voice message in the family group, the radio interview. Everything works as an example. Remember the edition on how AI learns? This is exactly that, used for harm.

Warning signs

• Urgency. "It has to be now", "don't tell anyone".
• A request for money by instant transfer to an unknown account.
• A different number than usual, with a ready excuse ("my phone broke").
• The person cannot answer a simple question only they would know.

The family protection kit

1. Agree on a secret word. Something silly and easy to remember, like "purple pineapple". In a real emergency, the caller knows the word.
2. Hang up and call back the number you already have saved.
3. Never decide in a hurry. Scams live on hurry. Say "I'll call your mother first".
4. Tell the older people in the family. They are the favorite targets, and the best vaccine is conversation.

Keep this

A voice is no longer proof of identity. A secret word agreed with the family is.

If you are young: this edition was made for you to print, or read aloud, to your grandparents.