With the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a concerning trend is emerging – scammers are now using AI voice cloning to manipulate and deceive individuals, even mimicking the voices of friends and family members. This disturbing development has led to a surge in online fraud cases. Here's how you can safeguard yourself from falling victim to such scams.

Imagine a scenario where you receive a call from someone who sounds exactly like a close friend or relative. They might ask for money due to an emergency or provide you with false information. Unfortunately, such scenarios are becoming more common, and individuals are being tricked into financial scams using AI voice cloning tools.

Recent reports have highlighted instances of individuals being scammed through AI voice cloning. In one case, a man from Haryana lost Rs 30,000 after receiving a call from a scammer posing as his friend who claimed to be in a hospital after an accident. Similarly, a man from Shimla lost two lakh rupees as fraudsters mimicked his uncle's voice.

According to a McAfee report, a staggering 83% of Indians have fallen victim to such scams, and 69% find it difficult to distinguish between human and AI-generated voices.

AI voice cloning, also known as voice synthesis or voice mimicry, is a technology that employs machine learning to replicate a person's voice. This process involves analyzing and learning the unique vocal characteristics of an individual from a certain amount of voice data. Numerous free and paid tools are available that enable scammers to create these deceptive voice clones.

Here's how you can protect yourself from falling prey to AI voice scams:

1. Exercise Caution with Unknown Calls: If you receive a call from an unfamiliar number, especially if the caller is requesting money or personal information, be cautious. Verify the caller's identity by asking questions only the two of you would know.

2. Listen Carefully: Pay close attention to the call. Look out for any unnatural pauses, robotic speech patterns, pronunciation errors, changes in tone, or lack of emotional expression.

3. Be Skeptical of Money Requests: Scammers often ask for money through methods that make it difficult for you to recover your funds. If the caller requests a substantial amount of money, take your time, ask for reasons, inform them you'll consider it, hang up, and verify their identity before proceeding.

4. Avoid Sharing Audio Clips Publicly: Avoid uploading your audio clips to public platforms. Scammers can easily access such clips, create clones, and use them for malicious purposes.

Vigilance is crucial in these times. Don't blindly trust incoming calls, especially from unknown sources. Always verify calls that raise even a hint of suspicion. By staying cautious and following these guidelines, you can protect yourself from the growing threat of AI voice cloning scams.