Scammers are getting more sophisticated and artificial intelligence is a growing part of that trend. The Lake Township Police Department is fighting back with a community discussion and everyone is invited.
Ron Craig is the Community Policing and Crime Prevention Officer for the department.
“The 49 years I have dealt with scams, this is absolutely the scariest one I have come across,’ said Craig. “There are scammers using AI in ways I don’t think I ever thought of.”
Craig says AI has taken scams to a whole new level, helping the crooks cast an even wider net.
“The people and the technology are so good that even some experts have been fooled,” said Craig.
There’s a wide variety of scams but one of the most popular involves a phone call that sounds like it’s from one of your loved ones.
“People are being scammed out of millions of dollars and their identity is being stolen through these scams when they are thinking they are talking to their relatives and friends,” said Craig. “They are getting a couple minutes of someone’s voice on a scam call or other unscrupulous way. They know who you are related to from the data breaches.”
He said many of the scams are so realistic they can fool almost anyone.
“Your phone will ring with a number you know. People have no clue it’s not actually their friend or relative calling. It sounds like them. In fact, it is their voice, it’s been re-constructed and re-mastered from another conversation,” said Craig.
Craig says getting off the phone is key. Check in later with the person who appeared to be calling to see if was really them. While this may sound simple to avoid, Craig says the scammers often catch people off guard.
“Every time I hear of someone getting scammed my heart goes to them because they think they are doing the right thing, they think they are helping someone,” said Craig. “People are being scammed out of large amounts of money and their identities are being stolen through these scams.”
It can take months to even years to clean up the mess and the scammers are often never found.
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