(NewsNation) — Artificial intelligence is transforming the way companies do business, but it's also giving fraudsters new ways to scam consumers.
Call-blocking company YouMail says Americans lost a record $10 billion to scammers last year, even though fraudulent robocalls, a popular scam, have fallen by almost 40%.
“We've reduced the number of calls and now have more targeted and efficient calls,” said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail. “AI will only make it worse.”
New AI technology has created voice cloning, allowing scammers to impersonate celebrities, elected officials, and even close friends. These reenactments have been used to trick and blackmail families into believing their loved ones are in danger.
Even a short clip like a voicemail greeting can be used against you.
“It's easy to call a loan officer at a bank, get a voice, and then call people saying there's a problem with their loan,” Quilisi said. “People need to realize, 'Hey, my voice shouldn't come out.'”
Annoying phone scam turns scary
Telephone scams range from the moderately annoying to the downright scary.
In July, a mother in Georgia panicked after receiving a phone call saying her daughter had been kidnapped, according to local news reports. On the phone, she heard a voice that sounded like her daughter's and a man's voice demanding $50,000. Actually, it was a voice clone generated by AI.
“It sounded a lot like her. It's 100% believable,” Debbie Shelton Moore told WXIA-TV. “I almost had a heart attack from complete panic.”
Something similar happened to a couple in Brooklyn. They received a report that their loved ones were being held at gunpoint, according to The New Yorker. Convinced that the threat was real after hearing a familiar voice, they sent hundreds of dollars via Venmo. It was a scam.
Last year, Americans lost about $2.7 billion to scammer scams, among other things.
Amy Nofziger, director of fraud victim support at AARP, said consumers should be especially skeptical of requests for money via prepaid gift cards or peer-to-peer apps like Venmo, Cash App and Zelle. . If something doesn't feel right, hang up.
“(Scammers) are using intimidation tactics and urgency to get you to act accordingly,” she says. “Take a breath and take a break.”
Concerns about election tampering through AI voice cloning technology are also growing after voters in New Hampshire received recorded messages urging them not to imitate President Joe Biden and vote.
What is the FCC doing about it?
In February, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made unwanted robocalls generated by AI illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which restricts unsolicited calls that use synthetic or prerecorded voice messages. The ruling was made.
The agency said the decision, which clarifies current law, gives state attorneys general new tools to “go after bad actors,” especially when it comes to voice cloning fraud.
“What the FCC has done is very important,” said Margot Sanders, senior counsel at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). “I said it would happen,” he said.
Under the TCPA, the FCC can fine robocallers and block calls from phone companies that make illegal robocalls.
Some federal enforcement efforts have been successful in recent years.. In 2023, the FCC imposed a record $300 million fine for auto warranty fraud robocalls. This is the largest illegal robocall operation ever investigated by the FCC. As a result, illegal auto warranty robocalls have decreased by 99%, the agency announced.
A separate push by the FCC to limit voice service provider traffic helped crack down on student loan robocalls.
Federal agencies also adopted new rules to prevent illegal foreign robocalls from entering U.S. phone networks. This is one of the most difficult issues to address because much of the activity takes place outside the United States.
“Other countries may not have as much appetite to try to stop it,” Kirisi said. “What's in it for them? It's not the people who are being fooled. It's someone else.”
What else can I do?
Sanders praised the agency's recent efforts, but believes more needs to be done to hold phone carriers accountable.
NCLC's 2022 report found that scam robocalls often result in revenue for phone companies, and that many providers continue to send scam calls even after being instructed to stop .
“It's hard to stop it because the money is being made,” Sanders said.
Federal lawmakers are pushing to codify the rules for AI robocalls.
Earlier this year, members of Congress introduced the bipartisan QUIET Act. The bill would require robocallers to disclose when AI is used and increase penalties for those who use the technology to impersonate individuals.
AI could also be part of the solution. Microsoft is testing a new service that analyzes conversations in real time and alerts users if a call looks suspicious.
NewsNation asked the FCC if further action was being considered, but the FCC did not respond.
how to protect yourself
There are steps consumers can take to protect themselves.
First, add your mobile and landline numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry. To do this, visit DoNotCall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 from the number you want to register.
Your phone also has tools to filter spam calls. iPhone users can turn on the “Do Not Disturb Unknown Callers” feature in Settings to silence calls from unknown numbers and send them directly to voicemail. Apps like YouMail and Robokiller are another way to block scam calls.
YouMail also has a voicemail feature that allows users to set up an autoresponder to prevent their voice from being duplicated.