Scammers are becoming more sophisticated in their efforts to target older Americans by using the latest technology. They are even using voice cloning: Is that person on the phone with the dire emergency really your grandson? Or is it a voice created with artificial intelligence?
Because much of the RVtravel.com audience is older, we want to pass this information along. Please read, take note, and then be careful. Tell your friends. We were alerted to this scam by the Better Business Bureau.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts recently announced the arrest of 13 persons in connection with a transnational elder fraud scheme. The investigation identified more than 400 victims and more than $5 million in losses.
These elder fraud schemes, also known as emergency scams or grandparent scams, prey on the willingness of an unsuspecting, worried individual to help friends and family in need. Often, they will impersonate their targets’ loved ones by making up an urgent situation and plead for help, which usually involves sending money.
Social media sites allow scammers to look up information and offer plausible stories. The crooks may even incorporate nicknames and real travel plans to convince their targets.
How the scam works
Emergency scams are about a family member or friend in a dire situation. You get a call, email, text or social media message from someone claiming to be a distressed family member. They may say they’ve been arrested or there was an accident, medical emergency, or other calamity. They provide convincing details, such as family names and school details.
The scammers may use voice cloning techniques to mimic the voices of loved ones. New technology enables the scammers to create voices of persons close to you from videos they may find on social media or elsewhere. They can then use tools to imitate the voice of your loved one and have it appear to say whatever they wish. Some voices may be obviously fake, but others may be difficult to distinguish from the real thing.
A twist to this scam targets parents of college students. The scammer calls the family member and claims their child has been arrested and needs bail money sent immediately via a payment app like Venmo or PayPal. They may even text pictures of a mugshot and say that the child is headed to jail with dangerous criminals. Terrified parents send the money, only to find out later that the story wasn’t true. By then, the money is long gone.
A common version is the “grandparent scam,” where the con artist contacts a grandparent claiming to be their grandchild and asking for money. The plea is so persuasive that the grandparent wires money to the scammer, only to find out their family member was safe and sound later. This scam can also work in reverse, where the “grandparent” calls their grandchild, pleading for help.
The scammer may also tell the victim that someone will arrive at their house to pick up the money.
How to spot a scam
If you receive a questionable message, avoid the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story. Check with other family and friends. Close the scammer’s message and call your loved one directly. Don’t call the phone number provided by the caller or caller ID.
Do your best to know what your family members are sharing online. Make sure they’re aware of this type of scam and advise them to use privacy options to keep other people from seeing and stealing their images and information.
Never send money if you have any doubt whatsoever about a call or message. If the caller asks you to send money via a payment app or a gift card, it’s likely a scam. If you wire money and later realize you’ve been tricked, alert the police immediately. Do the same if you are told that someone will come to your home to pick up money.
Be careful!
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- A growing scam could leave you stuck with a stolen vehicle
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The problem with most of these scams is that they are being perpetrated by people living outside of the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and outside of ‘Western’ law enforcement’s reach. The other issue is PACs that have no actual coordination with Political candidates, yet use the names, images, and videos of the candidates to pretend to be supported. They then sign people up for a donation with an automatic renewal, sometimes as short as one week. I helped an elderly woman who was being taken for over $1,000 per month by WINRED. She had no idea she had signed up for automatic renewals of her donations, or that the money was not going to the candidates.
Thank you for the news, RV Travel! On net this artificial intelligence seems a negative thing. It is a siren who sings so sweetly only to wreck the ship of whoever befell her spell. I disable or avoid it as much as possible, but am only forestalling potential harm and not foreclosing the possibility. None the less, thank you for the warning, have a great week and safe travels!
I got the grandpa call. I simply asked him” what’s your middle name? Click. My grandchildren have weird names you’d never guess.