Welcome to the world where artificial intelligence not only makes life easier but also creates nearly perfect financial scams! Yes, you read that right. While you think you are talking to your grandchild or daughter, you might actually be receiving a call from a digital scammer with a fake voice generated by AI technology. Experts in high technology warn that these scams are so sophisticated that they are almost impossible to detect, and the primary targets are often our elderly citizens.
Imagine the panic and guilt they feel when fake voices of close family members urgently ask for large sums of money due to alleged life-threatening emergencies! These so-called “deepfake” emotional scams use feelings as weapons, triggering urgency and helplessness. And no, you don’t need to be a tech genius or have expensive equipment to pull off such a scam — free tools are available that can mimic whispering, anger, rage, or joy, and even display the real phone number of the caller.
Expert Živanović advises that if you receive such a call, don’t panic or react immediately. Ask a control question that only the real person would know, like “Who was your favorite teacher?” or “What was the name of your first pet?”. Also, you can always hang up and directly contact your family member.
Another expert, Jančić, warns that AI is increasingly difficult to distinguish from a real voice, especially for older people with hearing impairments. AI-generated voices often sound flat, without emotion, but this can be missed by those not used to it. Therefore, it’s important to have a family password or control question that is not available on social media.
This new era of financial scams is a wake-up call for all of us. Don’t let fake voices of scammers rob you of your money and peace of mind. Be smart, be cautious, and if something suspicious happens, share your experience — maybe your comment will save someone’s life savings! Who knows, maybe it’s time to come up with some crazy control question that scammers can only dream of!
