People believe they’re answering an innocent survey – but it ends up being more sinister
Anyone who gets an unexpected phone call asking them to take part in what seems like a harmless survey is advised to say nothing and hang up immediately. This warning comes as a “disturbing” scam has been detected, with victims often completely oblivious.
National Trading Standards (NTS) has flagged a sophisticated AI-powered phone fraud targeting something far more sinister than banking information. The alarming scheme aims to ‘clone’ victims’ voices whilst they stay entirely unaware of the crime taking place.
Consumer watchdog Which? has issued an urgent alert advising people to end these calls immediately. A spokesperson said: “This scam starts with an unexpected call from a fraudster who asks if you’d like to participate in a non-existent ‘lifestyle survey’ – designed to gather your personal, health and financial details.
“While you answer the questions, this information is used to create AI-generated voice clones. These are then used to set up direct debits, such as payments to banks and other financial providers, without your knowledge.”
This sinister ‘cloning’ technique produces an almost flawless copy of someone’s voice, reports the Express. According to Which?, AI technology is “getting better and more convincing” at mimicking subtle characteristics such as vocal tone and regional accents.
Previously, criminals have exploited similar technology to produce deepfake celebrity footage and make more personalised frauds, including pretending to be a family member in urgent need of financial assistance.
Louise Baxter, who leads the NTS scams team, told Which?: “What we’re seeing is a deeply disturbing combination of old and new: traditional phone scams supported by disturbing new techniques. Criminals are using AI not just to deceive victims, but to trick legitimate systems into processing fraudulent payments.
“This is no longer just a nuisance – it’s a coordinated, sophisticated operation targeting some of the most situationally vulnerable consumers in society. We urge everyone to speak to friends and relatives about scam calls, check bank statements regularly and report anything suspicious.”
How to avoid becoming a victim
Fraudsters will contact hundreds of people daily, but they only need a handful of unfortunate victims to fall for a scam to turn a profit. While it might be impossible to prevent these unsolicited calls entirely – criminals typically use extensive databases of potential targets – there’s one foolproof method to avoid the ‘cloning’ tactic.
Put simply, don’t pick up calls from unrecognised numbers. Ensure elderly family members have their contacts clearly stored on their phones, and discuss with them the dangers that can come from unknown callers.
Telephone providers offer various services designed to filter out unwanted nuisance calls. While some of these are provided at no cost, others may take monthly fees depending on your subscription package.
If you’ve been scammed financially or received a call from someone you suspect is a scammer, it’s crucial to report it. The procedure is quick, cost-free, and could potentially prevent others from falling prey to these fraudsters.
- In England, Wales or Northern Ireland, visit www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
- In Scotland, report to Police Scotland by calling 101.
