Indian authorities have recently alerted citizens about emerging phone scams that leverage AI to imitate people’s voices. These attacks clone the voices of relatives and friends to sound desperate for help before tricking victims into online transactions.

Fraudsters first gather personal information about potential targets through social media sites, matrimonial profiles, or data leaks. Then they use AI techniques like deepfakes to clone the target’s voice or a family member’s voice stored in the background of previous calls.

The scammers make up elaborate stories about unavoidable needs. With some personal details interwoven, the victims believe it is their actual relative and make online payments. The money ends up in intermediate accounts and disappears without a trace to the scammers. 

Some fraudsters have even replicated bank manager voices to extract OTPs. Sometimes to activate instant loans on their names. The cloned voices sound natural, making detection of fakery harder, especially for seniors.

Read below to learn about how voice-cloning scams work and the significant concerns they may pose.

How Do Voice-Cloning Scams Work? 

Voice cloning refers to AI systems that can mimic almost any human voice by analysing it. These can then be used to generate new fake utterances aimed at fraud. 

In India, an exponential rise in voice cloning apps has enabled such scammers to clone identities through three key modes:

1. Social engineering frauds Scammers contact victims by mimicking the voices of known bank managers and customer care agents. Then they ask for confidential information, like passwords or OTPs. The familiarity achieved through vocal similarity tricks victims. 

2. Celebrity endorsement scams. Using the synthesised voices of celebrities, fake endorsements for products, investments, or donations are done among fans. Victims get manipulated by perceived credibility.  

3. Deep Fake social media profiles Clone voices are linked to realistic AI-generated images linked to cloned social media accounts. This is then used for cheating mass targets through messages and posts. 

Key Concerns Around Rising Voice Cloning Scams

1. Increased credibility Perception: AI-powered, mimicked voices build high levels of familiarity and trust, causing people to lower their defences. Making them share sensitive data, assuming the speaker's identity to be genuine.  

2. Difficult Technical Detection: Unlike images, detecting manipulated vocal deep fakes is still challenging.

3. No legal accountability frameworks: India still lacks comprehensive laws addressing voice cloning used to execute frauds. The anonymity of blockchain-based clone apps also causes problems. 

4. Rapid Proliferation on the Dark Web: Cheap voice-cloning services are available on the dark web. Making it easy for scammers globally to target Indians.

5. Limited user awareness: Most people are oblivious to advancements around AI voice cloning. This leaves them vulnerable to psychological manipulation through such scams. 

Cases Of Voice Cloning In India

1. In 2021, the voice of a popular celebrity was cloned to make fake promotion calls to thousands. Promoting an e-commerce platform that turned out to be fraudulent, causing financial losses.  

2. A Mumbai-based professor received an OTP request call from her bank manager, asking for urgent validation. The ₹3 lakh transaction detected later was because of sensitive information shared with the fake cloned voice. 

3. Over 2000 people lost money in a cryptocurrency wallet scam. Using the synthesised voice of a well-known business tycoon to gain credibility and coax victims. 

As risks speed up, public awareness, law enforcement capacity building around deepfakes and counter-technologies, and strong legal deterrence are crucial to combating the unique threats posed by AI voice-cloning-based frauds. There is a need for technological safeguards by fintech companies against spoofed voices for transaction authorization.  

As AI improves, cloned voices will become more refined and ubiquitous across scam mediums. Especially for messaging apps and websites. For law enforcement, tracking these scams back to fraudsters also becomes harder. The only thing a citizen can do is exercise precaution and stay logical. 

Never share sensitive financial or personal information with unknown callers.

• Verify the emergency claims of relatives through other contacts before initiating any transfers. 

• Use security questions or video calls to authenticate your identity if suspicions arise.

• Limit sharing family information on social media sites. Or avoid doing so if your account is public. 

• Notify local authorities immediately upon detecting a voice-cloning scam. 

• Always give the benefit of your doubt to your sense of rationality first before panicking. 

Although AI promises many benefits, malicious usage also raises risks. Stay vigilant about suspicious calls and guard yourself against emerging voice-cloning scams.

For more information on scams, visit the Cyber Crime Portal or call 1930 to lodge a complaint.