AI voice-clone and deepfake scams: how to spot them and where to report
Scammers can now copy a voice from a short clip. The warning signs, a simple family safe word, and where to report scams in each country.
Voice-cloning software can now copy someone’s voice from a short recording, such as a video posted on social media or a voicemail greeting. Scammers use it to make calls that sound exactly like a family member, a boss or a bank. Video deepfakes are used the same way on video calls. The technology is new; the trick is old: create panic, then ask for money before you have time to check.
The common versions
- “I’m in trouble.” A call or voice note from a child or grandchild who’s been arrested, had an accident or lost their phone abroad, and needs money now.
- “Urgent payment from the boss.” A senior manager calls or joins a video meeting and asks finance staff to make a confidential transfer.
- “This is your bank.” A caller who sounds official says your account is at risk and asks you to move money to a “safe account” or read out a code.
- Fake celebrity endorsements. Deepfake videos of well-known people promoting investment schemes or giveaways.
Warning signs
- Pressure to act right now, and to keep it secret.
- Payment by gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or a new account.
- A new phone number, or a call that can’t be returned.
- Small oddities: flat emotion, strange pauses, a voice that doesn’t respond naturally to interruptions.
Three habits that stop most of these scams
- Hang up and call back on a number you already know, not one the caller gives you. A real family member or bank won’t mind.
- Agree a family safe word: a word or phrase that only your family knows and never posts online. Anyone calling for money in an emergency has to say it.
- At work, never approve payments on a call alone. Confirm through a second channel and follow the normal approval process, however senior the person asking.
It also helps to keep social media accounts private and to think twice about posting long videos of yourself speaking, but the call-back habit is what protects you when a clone does get through.
If you’ve already paid
Call your bank immediately using the number on your card. Banks can sometimes stop or recall a payment if they act quickly. Then report the scam, which helps police spot patterns even when the money can’t be recovered.
Where to report scams
| Country | Where to report |
|---|---|
| United States | Federal Trade Commission: ReportFraud.ftc.gov |
| United Kingdom | Forward scam texts to 7726, and suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk (National Cyber Security Centre) |
| Canada | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre |
| Australia | Scamwatch, and ReportCyber for cybercrime |
| New Zealand | Netsafe |
| UAE | Your local police; in Dubai, the eCrime platform |
| Saudi Arabia | The Kollona Amn app, or your local police |
In any country, if someone is in danger or you’re being threatened, call the police emergency number.