SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/voice-clone-scam

Grandma gets a call that sounds exactly like her grandson: he's in trouble, needs money now, and says not to tell Mom. What should she do first?

If a loved one calls in a panic asking for money, hang up and call them back on a number you know is theirs.

  1. Hang up and call him back on the number she already has ✔
  2. Trust it, since she knows her own grandson's voice
  3. Talk to the lawyer he puts on the phone to check the story

Why: Scammers can use AI to copy someone's voice from a short clip posted online, so a familiar voice isn't proof. Call the person back on a number you know is theirs. If you can't reach them, call another family member, even though the caller said to keep it secret.

Huh, didn't know that: If you can't reach them, call another family member, even though the caller said to keep it secret.

The dad joke
What does a lemon say when it answers the phone? Yellow!
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Sources

  1. FTC: Scammers Use Fake Emergencies To Steal Your Money https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/scammers-use-fake-emergencies-steal-your-money
  2. FTC: Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams (voice cloning) https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/avoiding-and-reporting-gift-card-scams
Security & PrivacyA caller says you owe money and must pay right now with gift cards. Which of these would ever ask you to pay that way?Security & PrivacyA pop-up says 'Microsoft Alert: Virus found! Call this number now.' What's true?Security & PrivacyIs a password enough?

That's stuff everyone should know.