Fraudsters are taking advantage of cutting-edge AI technology, and it\u2019s time we all start paying attention. According to shocking new research from Starling Bank, over a quarter (28%) of UK adults have been targeted by AI voice cloning scams in the past year alone. The worst part? Nearly half (46%) of Brits don\u2019t even know these scams exist, leaving them wide open to being tricked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The terrifying thing about AI voice cloning is that criminals only need three seconds<\/strong> of audio to mimic someone\u2019s voice1<\/sup>. That\u2019s right, just a few seconds of your voice \u2013 maybe from a video on social media \u2013 and fraudsters can sound exactly like you or your loved ones. Once they\u2019ve cloned your voice, they\u2019ll call or leave a message for your family, sounding desperate, asking for money urgently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amazingly, nearly 1 in 10 people said they\u2019d send money even if the call seemed a bit off. That\u2019s millions of potential victims! Yet only 30% of us know what to look for when it comes to these scams1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what can you do? One technique could be to establish a secret \u2018Safe Phrase\u2019 with your close family and friends, something that only you and they know \u2013 this way, if you ever get a strange call from someone claiming to be a loved one, just ask for the phrase. If they can\u2019t say it, it\u2019s probably a scam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starling has even enlisted the help of actor James Nesbitt<\/strong>, whose voice was cloned to show just how real the threat is. \u201cHearing my own voice cloned was a real eye-opener,\u201d he admits. \u201cI\u2019ll definitely be setting up a Safe Phrase with my family.\u201d1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n In a world where fraud is on the rise, and financial fraud cases are skyrocketing, it\u2019s crucial to stay alert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sources<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n