Imposter scams can become particularly personal, especially with AI-driven fraud. That text with a “final notice” on a toll violation from the Department of Motor Vehicles? Bogus! But a scarier impostor would be an AI-generated voice sounding just like your child calling and claiming to have been kidnapped, then begging for money. How can you tell if these interactions are real or fake? Don’t panic. Read on.
High-tech impostor scams
We all receive fraudulent texts and emails attempting to scam us out of money. But those scams pale in comparison to an AI-generated voice that sounds just like a loved one in distress. With just a snippet of a person’s authentic recorded voice, AI programs can then carry on a conversation sounding just like someone you know.
How can you keep from panicking if it sounds like your teenage son or daughter is in distress? And for lower-level imposter scams, how can you flush out a phony?
Go to the source
Criminals spew out tens of thousands of texts and emails pretending to be common vendors. You might get a fake text from a bank demanding a payment for an overdraft. The crooks send out thousands of these, knowing that hundreds of bank customers are likely to receive them and that someone might fall for it.
To avoid this imposter scam, investigate the source independently. Do not respond to the message by clicking an embedded link or calling a number that appears to be from the vendor. If you receive a text or email allegedly from your credit card company requesting approval for a large purchase, log in to your account and check the activity. If you see activity you did not authorize, contact the credit card company directly from your account page, not with any number supplied in the bogus text or email.
Scams by voice call
Sometimes, you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be with the IRS or the Social Security Administration, making a bogus claim that you must repay some money. These agencies will never call and demand money by phone. Never.
Do not be alarmed if your caller ID gives the name of that agency. Scammers can mask their numbers in that way.
Much more alarming would be a voice sounding just like your loved one pleading for money. Dealing with this imposter scam requires some preplanning and a cool head.
As part of an overall family safety plan, discuss this very scenario. Establish a code word or an answer to a code question. A code word or question must be something that all of you can remember, and it should not be something shared publicly on social media that the bad guys can harvest. For example, if you vacation together each summer in Destin, Florida, and post about it on social media, don’t make your code question about where you vacation. The code word or question should be something private and closely held that all of you are familiar with.
If you receive such a call, do not panic. Ask the voice on the line for the code word or answer. If the caller does not respond but still tries to get you to cooperate, write down the phone number, hang up, and call the police. This type of call is attempted extortion and is more severe than common scams by phone, text, or email.
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