Spot deepfakes and voice-clone scams

A familiar voice can be faked

A scammer may use a short audio clip to imitate someone’s voice and create an emergency request.[1] Images and videos can also be manipulated. Your goal is not to become a perfect deepfake detector. Your goal is to verify the request another way.

Warning signs

• “Act now” pressure or a frightening emergency;
• instructions to keep the request secret;
• payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire, or another hard-to-reverse method;
• a request for a code, password, or personal information;
• a new number or account claiming to be someone you know;
• a video or call that cannot answer a private family question.

Any one sign deserves a pause. Several signs together make verification urgent.

Use a family verification plan

1. End the interaction. Do not use a link or number the message provides.
2. Contact the person directly using a saved number or another trusted channel.
3. Ask a trusted adult. Scammers use isolation to keep people from checking.
4. Use a family check phrase that is not posted online. Do not rely on it alone; it might be exposed.
5. Report and block the suspicious account after preserving useful evidence.

Scenario

A video message appears to show a cousin asking for money after losing a phone. The voice sounds right. The account is new.

The safe response is not “I spotted a weird blink.” It is: “I will call my cousin’s saved number and ask another family member before doing anything.”

Remember

Real people can also make urgent requests. Verification is not rude. It protects both of you.