Scam School: This $11 trick using AI clones your voice so well, even family members can’t tell the difference
By Brya Berry
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — What if someone called your family pretending to be you? Not just using your name, but your actual voice.
It may be easier than you think.
In a KMBC 9 investigation, we put artificial intelligence to the test to see how easily someone could copy a person’s voice and fool someone who knows them.
The results were unsettling.
Using videos I had already posted publicly on YouTube and Facebook, Tenfold Security’s cybersecurity expert Aaron Weissenfluh collected 32 minutes of audio of me speaking.
He then used AI voice-cloning software that cost just $11 to create a digital version of my voice.
Some programs are available for free.
I didn’t have to sit in a recording studio or read a script. The audio was already online, available for anyone to hear.
Then came the real test.
We called my cousin using the AI-generated voice to see whether she could tell the difference.
She had no idea she was part of an experiment.
And she believed she was speaking to me.
Although she eventually noticed pauses in the conversation, the voice itself was convincing enough to make her believe I was on the other end of the phone.
That raised an even bigger question: If the pauses hadn’t been there, how much more convincing could the call have been?
It’s the same technology scammers can use to impersonate someone you love.
A familiar voice can create an immediate sense of trust, especially when the caller claims there’s an emergency or asks for money.
And with so many people sharing videos on social media, scammers may not need much help finding audio to work with.
Our experiment showed just how little it can take: publicly available recordings, inexpensive software, and a phone call.
How can you protect yourself from voice cloning?
If you receive an unexpected call from someone claiming to be a family member, especially if they’re asking for money, don’t rely on their voice alone.
Hang up and call that person using a number you already know. You can also establish a family code word to help verify someone’s identity during an emergency.
And be cautious if the caller pressures you to act immediately or insists that you keep the conversation a secret.
The biggest takeaway from our investigation is simple: Hearing a familiar voice is no longer proof that you’re speaking to the person you think you are.
For more ways to protect yourself from scams, follow KMBC 9’s Scam School investigations.
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