I’ve learned that an AI impersonation scam can easily trick you into giving away personal details. Here’s how they do it.
The screen showed familiar faces—her colleagues, bosses, and the usual crowd from the multinational firm where she worked. When they told her to transmit funds to a list of accounts, she didn’t hesitate.
In a matter of minutes, the transfers amounting to HK$200 million were done. That was when the truth slapped her: the entire meeting had been a lie, a deepfake built from the fragments of her superiors’ voices and faces.
This wasn’t a scene from a movie, nor some cautionary tale to be told over drinks. This was a real, cold, and scary crime that happened in Hong Kong in January 2024.
I stopped answering unknown calls and you should, too. Here’s why.
Scammers Have Gotten Better at Lying
Phone scams used to be crude and recognizable. A prince from a distant land promised wealth if you wired a few hundred dollars. A robotic voice from the IRS threatened jail unless you called back. We laughed at them like we once laughed at deepfakes before they got better.
Today, the scam is cleverer than ever. An AI impersonation scam uses just a few minutes of recorded speech to copy your voice or a family member, allowing scammers to impersonate you. A sobbing daughter asking for help. A panicked friend stranded without money. They are not strangers anymore; they are someone you love, or at least, someone you think you love. And seconds before logic catches up, you let the panic win.
Unknown Calls Are Rarely Urgent
The voice on the other end is calm. It knows your name and account number. It tells you there’s been a breach and it must be fixed. Now. They ask for your PIN and your birthday—just to be sure, they say, to protect your money. If you don’t, the voice warns, your funds will be frozen and you will lose access to your account.
Fifty billion times last year, Americans picked up the phone to hear the same lie, sharpened with every call. Then the line goes dead, they check their balance and find nothing left.
If you watched Jason Statham’s The Beekeeper, you’ll understand.
My Private Data Is Worth Its Weight in Gold
Scammers have access to technology that can imitate voices perfectly. Last year, nearly a third of Americans succumbed to an AI impersonation scam. A few seconds of their voice was cloned and used to steal money, make threats, or exploit. What’s even scarier is that half of them didn’t even know this kind of fraud existed. And 8% admitted they’d give away money if the call came from someone they loved, even if something felt off.
In one stark case, criminals used AI to steal the voice of a CEO. With it, they took $243,000 from the company’s account.
It’s My Way of Setting Boundaries
By not answering unknown calls, you draw a line. You say no to being played, no to being invaded, no to the pressure to always be on call. You say no to the scam that feeds on haste and fear. In doing so, you protect yourself and the ones who rely on your good sense.
I stopped answering unknown calls because I wouldn’t let my voice be used in an AI impersonation scam.
You should stop answering, too, not because of fear, but because the world has changed. And in the face of deception, sometimes silence is the loudest act of self-defense.
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