AI Voice Clone Scams: How They Work and How to Stay Safe

Technology is supposed to make life easier, but criminals are using it to try to trick people out of their money. One of the newest risks facing phone users in the UK isn’t just a typical cold call but something far more convincing: an AI voice clone scam.

Scammers are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake copies of real people’s voices. These scams can sound so real that even experienced phone users find them hard to spot. In some cases, victims have been tricked into authorising direct debits or sending money because they genuinely believed they were speaking to someone they trusted.

This article explains what AI voice clone scams are, how criminals use them, and practical ways to protect yourself.

What is an AI Voice Clone?

An AI voice clone is a synthetic copy of a person’s real voice, generated using artificial intelligence. The technology analyses short audio clips and learns patterns in tone, accent, timing and pitch to create a convincing imitation of someone’s speech. Just a few seconds of audio, from a voicemail, video or even phone greeting, can be enough for an AI system to start mimicking a voice.

This tech was originally developed for legitimate uses like accessibility tools, voice assistants and personalised customer service. Unfortunately, scammers are now exploiting it to impersonate familiar voices and trick people into thinking they are speaking to someone they know

To demonstrate just how convincing this technology has become, we created an AI voice clone using a short recording of a real voice. One of the clips below is a real voice. The other has been created using AI voice cloning technology. Can you tell the difference?

How Scammers Use AI Voice Clones

In these scams, fraudsters often start with a seemingly harmless cold call – sometimes described as a “lifestyle survey.” During the conversation, they try to get you to speak so they can collect enough of your voice to feed into an AI voice cloning system.

Once they have enough audio, scammers can create recordings that sound like your voice saying things you never said. They then use this cloned voice to authorise direct debits, convince banks or companies that you consented to a payment, or even manipulate relatives into sending money.

This is far more sophisticated than traditional phone scams, and it can fool even savvy users because it doesn’t rely on poor scripts or obvious red flags.

Scams That Use AI Voice Cloning

Some common examples include:

• Fake payment authorisation: Scammers clone your voice to give “consent” for a direct debit or transaction. This might be used to set up fraudulent payments from your bank account.
• Impersonating a loved one: A cloned voice can be used to imitate a family member in distress, asking for urgent help or money. Criminals may use emotionally charged scenarios to manipulate victims.

In both cases, the scammer’s goal is to convince you or a third party that the request is real, legitimate and authorised by you or someone you trust.

Spotting an AI Voice Clone Scam

Here are some practical ways to recognise and avoid falling for this type of fraud:

1. Unexpected requests: If you receive a call asking you to authorise payments or share personal information out of the blue, don’t comply straight away.
   
2. Pause and verify: Ask for the caller’s details, hang up, and call the person or organisation back using a number you trust, or call 159 if you’re trying to reach your bank. Genuine organisations won’t mind if you do this.
   
3. Treat survey calls with caution: Be wary of “survey” calls asking for personal or financial information – these are often used to gather audio for cloning.
   
4. Don’t speak first: Just a snippet of you saying ‘Hello, is anyone there?’ is enough to clone your voice. Be cautious before speaking to an unknown caller.
   
5. Get help if unsure: If something feels off, talk to someone you trust before taking action.

Protecting Yourself and Your Landline

Telephone users, especially older or vulnerable people, need extra protection against these sophisticated scams. That’s where tools like Phonely’s CallGuard can help.

CallGuard works by identifying and blocking nuisance or suspicious calls before they reach you. It can automatically filter known scam numbers and reduce the number of calls that even get a chance to start a scam. And if you ever need a record of a suspicious call, call recording provides accurate evidence of what was said, which can be crucial if something goes wrong.

Using safeguarding tools with features like automatic call blocking and call recording adds a useful layer of defence on top of your own awareness and caution.

Final Thoughts

AI has brought incredible new abilities to the world of communication, but it has also given criminals powerful tools to misuse. AI voice clone scams are a stark reminder that we all need to stay alert and informed.

If you get a call that sounds odd, even if the voice sounds familiar, take a moment to verify before acting. Trust your instincts and use available protection tools to stay safe.

You don’t have to face these threats alone. Simple awareness and practical safeguards can make a real difference.