Know how to identify fake calls in the voice of your loved ones that will make you bankrupt

One evening in Delhi, Lakshmi Chand Chawla was called from an unknown number on his telephone. While answering the call, he found himself talking to a person who introduced himself as a policeman and told him that his nephew, Kapil, has been arrested for a case of sexual abuse. After listening for a while, Chawla could hear Kapil's anxious and scared voice in a matter of minutes. Kapil told him he was innocent and begged for assistance. Suddenly, the policeman came back onto the call and demanded Rs 70,000 in return for silencing the case.

The Chawla couple directly arranged Rs 50,000 and sent it. Once this was done, when again a claim for Rs 2 lakh was made, he called Kapil's family since he suspected something. Kapil was found to be safe at his home and he did not know about such a case. It was a voice cloning fraud, wherein Kapil's voice was cloned perfectly through AI technology and people were cheated.

Mumbai resident KT Vinod received a call from the Indian Embassy in Dubai. Soon, he heard the frightened voice of his son Amit, "Please rescue me." Out of fear, Vinod transferred Rs 80,000. Later, it was found that his son was safe at his home. The voice heard in the call was actually generated by AI.

AI voice cloning technology has emerged rapidly in the last few years. According to AIPRM, it was one of the fastest-growing scam techniques of 2024. 70% of adults are unable to identify whether they are hearing a real voice or a fake one. According to Christophe C. Semper, founder of AIPRM, “Your voice can be copied from just a three-second recording.”

How to identify an AI voice scam?

• Ask identity-based questions: If the caller claims to be someone you know, ask him questions that only he can answer. Or decide on a 'secret code' in advance.
• Pay attention to the duration of the call: Scammers usually use the cloned voice for a very short time so as not to arouse suspicion.
• Be cautious if you receive a call from an unknown number: If you receive a call in the name of an organization or an acquaintance, disconnect the call and call the same person from your contact list or official number.
• Protect your voice: Do not send voice notes or videos to strangers. Repeating words like "hello" can also clone your voice.