Imagine receiving a call from your child, sounding panicked and claiming they’re stranded and need money immediately. Your heart races as you’ve heard that voice a thousand times and want to help. But what if it’s not really them and instead a scam to get your personal and financial information?
Thanks to rapid gains in artificial intelligence (AI), scammers are now using AI for fraud, including cloning real voices with chilling accuracy and weaponizing them to steal money, personal data, and your trust.
Marco Rubio Has His Voice Cloned
A stark example of this new threat emerged recently with shockwaves felt throughout the world. A malicious actor recently used AI voice cloning to impersonate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to target high-level officials. According to reports, the AI voice cloning impersonation reached at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a member of Congress.
A government spokesperson confirmed the State Department is investigating and enhancing cybersecurity protocols.
IdentityIQ Chief Innovation Officer and cybersecurity expert Michael Scheumack recently spoke to LiveNOW from Fox and news agency ZDNET about Rubio’s AI voice cloning scam that has become a national security incident.
Scheumack said, unfortunately, everyone is at risk for AI voice cloning scams.
“The use of AI and voice cloning is becoming so easy to use and it’s available, really, to anybody,” he told LiveNOW from Fox.
Scheumack told ZDNET about the ease of using AI to clone a voice.
"All it takes is a five-second clip of your voice – usually downloaded from social media – and scammers can clone it to commit fraud," he said.
For the scammer who targeted Rubio, what was their goal? To trick officials into revealing sensitive information or granting access to critical accounts.
President Joe Biden Has His Voice Cloned
This isn’t the first time a high-ranking official has had their voiced cloned for fraud. Last year, fake robocalls using an AI-generated version of then-President’s Joe Biden’s voice were sent to New Hampshire voters. The messages, which sounded exactly like Biden, urged people not to vote in the state’s presidential primary.
If government leaders can be targeted this way, what does that mean for everyday people?
Unfortunately, AI voice-cloning tools are now cheap and easily accessible to scammers, so they can quickly clone your voice. All they need is a few seconds of your voice or the voice of someone you trust, usually taken from social media or even a voicemail greeting, to clone your voice.
Why Voice Cloning Scams Are So Effective
AI voice cloning targets our trust and exploits our feelings. Scammers create a sense of urgency often by feigning an emergency, and their impersonation of trusted people in your life can be extremely convincing.
Their goal is to get you to act quickly without thinking, handing over access to your money and your personal information.
The Devastating Toll of Voice-Cloning Scams
Americans have lost billions of dollars to voice-cloning and other AI scams, including drained retirement accounts and depleted savings. Beyond dollars lost, there’s an emotional wound from being manipulated into believing that a loved one was in an emergency situation.
For governments, this opens doors to manipulated decision-making, leaked secrets, or strategic disinformation. The most recent Rubio incident is a national security wake-up call as well as a call for individuals to take extra steps to protect their identities.
Your Defense: How to Avoid Voice Cloning Scams
While AI voice cloning is advancing fast, these steps can help significantly reduce your risk:
1. Limit What You Share Online
Every audio clip you post on social media provides fuel for scammers. Tighten privacy settings and think twice before publishing voice content. The less audio material you have publicly available, the less the scammers have to clone.
2. Be Suspicious of Urgent Calls
If a caller claims to be a loved one and demands money or personal info, hang up immediately and call that person back at their known phone number. Reach out through other trusted channels if in doubt.
3. Use a Family Password
Agree on a secret password or phrase that only your family will know. If someone calling and claiming to be your loved one can’t provide the password, it’s a scam alert.
4. Sign Up for Identity Theft Protection Services
As AI-powered scams get more sophisticated, identity theft protection services are more important than ever. They are the first line of defense to protect your identity.
IdentityIQ identity theft protection services offer:
- Real-time scanning of your data across the internet and dark web
- Alerts to possible suspicious activity
- Credit and identity monitoring
- $1 million in identity theft insurance, underwritten by AIG
- Tools to detect, respond, and recover from identity theft incidents
These services don’t just catch early signs of fraud and protect you from further damage, they offer peace of mind.
What to Do If You’re Targeted by a Scammer
Scammed or suspect you’re being targeted by one? Act fast and do the following:
- Hang up immediately
- Verify by calling directly or other through other trusted channels
- Report the attempt to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and your local law enforcement
- Update your passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Use identity theft protection services to monitor your financial and credit accounts for fraud
The quicker you act, the quicker you can limit the financial and emotional fallout from fraud.
Why AI Voice Cloning Attacks Are on the Rise
The recent Rubio case illustrates a disturbing trend: AI is now in the hands of everyday criminals. But staying vigilant can help you stay safe.
Bottom Line
AI voice cloning scams threaten not just dollars but trust and even national security.
By reducing your digital audio footprint, implementing verification habits, and arming yourself with identity protection services, you create barriers that derail criminals’ sophisticated scams.
IdentityIQ is dedicated to offering protection with dark web scanning, fraud alerts, and a around-the-clock defense. Click here to get protected today.
