An elderly resident of California, Anthony, suffered a significant financial loss due to the misuse of artificial intelligence voice technology. Scammers targeted Anthony by convincing him that his son was in a traffic accident and urgently needed money. The scammers used a highly convincing voice generated by artificial intelligence technology to contact Anthony. This voice was so similar to his son’s that the elderly man believed the person on the phone was indeed his son.
The fraud began with a phone call claiming that Anthony’s son was involved in an accident. A second call escalated the situation; this time, a person claiming to be a lawyer stated that $9,200 was needed for his son’s bail. In a panic, Anthony went to the bank, withdrew the requested amount, and to avoid suspicion, claimed the money was for a solar panel installation. When he returned home, while waiting for a call from a lawyer, his daughter called him and suggested contacting another lawyer. Someone informed via Uber that they would collect the money, and Anthony handed over the funds.
Realizing the Situation Late Was Not Enough for Anthony
However, the scam did not end there. Another lawyer reported that the condition of a pregnant woman hit by his son worsened and the bail amount increased. Eventually, Anthony and his daughter realized they were scammed. Such scams show how artificial intelligence-supported voice technologies can make people vulnerable. Anthony expresses shame for what happened but hopes his experience serves as a lesson to others. Detective Chelsea Saeger highlights the dangers of the misuse of these technologies.