Arkansas officials are warning consumers about a high-tech twist on a familiar scam: criminals using artificial intelligence to impersonate family members and pressure victims into quickly sending money.
The technology can allow scammers to imitate the voice of someone a victim knows, potentially making the traditional family-emergency or “grandparent scam” much more convincing.
AI MAKES AN OLD SCAM MORE CONVINCING
The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office warns that family-emergency scams commonly involve a caller pretending to be a grandchild, child or other relative who claims to be in immediate trouble.
The supposed emergency may involve an arrest, accident, medical problem or another crisis requiring money immediately.
Artificial intelligence adds another layer to the scheme because criminals can use AI-generated or cloned audio to make a caller sound like the person they are impersonating.
A victim could hear what appears to be the voice of a loved one asking for help — even though the person on the other end of the call is a scammer.
CREATE A FAMILY “SAFE WORD”
The Arkansas Securities Department recommends families establish a password or secret phrase that can be used to verify someone’s identity during an emergency.
If a caller claims to be a family member and urgently needs money, asking for the predetermined phrase could help expose an impostor.
Officials also recommend asking questions that a scammer would have difficulty answering.
Most importantly, consumers should independently contact the family member supposedly involved in the emergency. Call that person directly using a telephone number you already know rather than a number supplied by the caller.
If you cannot reach the person, contact another trusted family member who may be able to verify the situation.
DON’T LET URGENCY OVERRIDE CAUTION
Scammers frequently rely on fear and urgency to keep victims from having enough time to think, investigate or contact someone else.
Consumers should be especially suspicious when someone demands immediate payment or insists that the situation must remain secret.
Officials advise Arkansans not to provide money, banking information, account numbers or other personal information until they have independently confirmed that the emergency is legitimate.
The bottom line: hearing a familiar voice is no longer enough to prove who is actually calling.
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