The Rise of Deepfakes: How AI Voice Cloning is Threatening Consumers
In recent years, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has paved the way for various technological advancements, including deepfakes. These manipulated images, videos, and audio use AI to create convincing, yet false representations of people and events. Of particular concern is voice spoofing, also known as voice cloning, which uses AI to create a realistic-sounding recording of someone’s voice. Scammers have used voice deepfakes to replicate familiar voices, such as a relative or a banker, tricking consumers into parting with money or providing sensitive information.
The threat of deepfakes is evolving and requires consumers to be wary of unsolicited calls or messages asking for personal information, especially for financial transactions. Consumers need to know how to protect themselves against these sophisticated hoaxes. In this article, we provide a breakdown of five things to look out for to detect AI-generated voices, and we explore the ways that consumers can safeguard themselves against the threat of deepfakes.
Detecting AI-Generated Voices
As deepfakes become more advanced, it is becoming increasingly difficult to detect the authenticity of a voice. However, there are a few telltale signs that can help consumers identify AI-generated voices.
Long pauses and signs of a distorted voice
Deepfakes still require the attacker to type sentences that become the target’s voice. This often takes time and results in long breaks. These pauses can be unsettling for the consumer, especially if the request from the other side is urgent and involves a lot of emotional manipulation.
According to Vijay Balasubramaniyan, co-founder, and CEO of Pin Drop, “These long pauses are telltale signs that a fake system is being used to synthesize speech.” Consumers should also listen carefully to the voice on the other end of the call. If the voice sounds artificial or distorted in any way, it could be a sign of a deepfake. Consumers should also watch for unusual speech patterns or unfamiliar accents.
Unexpected or misplaced requests
If a consumer receives a phone call or message that seems out of place for the person they know or the organization that the caller claims to be from, it may be a sign of a deepfake attack. Especially if the consumer is subjected to emotional manipulation and high-pressure tactics attempting to force them to help the caller, they should hang up and independently call back the contact using a known phone number.
Verify the identity of the caller
Consumers should ask the caller to provide personal information or to verify their identity using a separate channel or method, such as an official website or email. This can help confirm that the caller is who they say they are and reduce the risk of fraud.
Stay informed about the latest deepfake technology
Consumers need to keep up to date with the latest advances in voice spoofing technology and how fraudsters use it to commit scams. By staying informed, consumers can better protect themselves against potential threats. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lists the most common phone scams on their website, which consumers should regularly review to stay informed.
Invest in liveness detection
Liveness detection is a technique used to detect a forgery attempt by determining whether the source of a biometric sample is a living human or a forgery. This technology is offered by companies like Pindrop and others to help detect whether employees are talking to a real human or a machine pretending to be one.
Consumers should make sure they do business with companies that are aware of the risk of deepfake technology and have taken steps to protect their assets with these countermeasures, says Balasubramaniyan.
Protecting Yourself Against Deepfakes
As the threat of deepfakes continues to evolve, it is crucial that consumers know how to protect themselves against scams that use AI-generated voices. Here are some additional ways to protect yourself against deepfakes:
Don’t trust unknown sources
Whether it’s an unsolicited phone call, email, or social media message, do not trust unknown sources. Be wary of anyone asking for personal information or money, especially if it is an unexpected request. Legitimate organizations will never ask you for personal information over the phone or via email.
Be mindful of the content you share on social media
Deepfakes can be created using publicly available images and videos on social media. To protect yourself against this threat, be mindful of the content you share on social media. Review your privacy settings and ensure that you are not sharing too much personal information online.
Install cybersecurity software
Cybersecurity software can help protect against phishing attempts, malware, and other cyber threats, including deepfakes. Ensure that your computer and mobile devices have up-to-date antivirus and anti-malware software installed, and always keep your software and operating systems updated to patch any vulnerabilities.
Be familiar with your loved one’s voices
This may seem like a simple solution, but it can be an effective way to safeguard yourself against deepfake attacks that use the voices of your loved ones. Familiarize yourself with the tones, accents, and speech patterns of your loved ones so that you can more easily detect a deepfake.
Stay vigilant
Finally, staying vigilant is critical to protecting yourself against deepfakes. Be vigilant about the information you share online and the people you communicate with over the phone or via email. If you receive a call or message that seems suspicious, hang up and call the organization or individual back using their known phone number or contact information.
Summary
AI-generated voices, or deepfakes, are a constantly evolving threat that consumers need to be aware of and prepared to protect themselves against. Scammers have used these advanced voice-cloning technologies to replicate familiar voices, tricking consumers into parting with money or providing sensitive information. To detect deepfakes, consumers should look out for long pauses, signs of a distorted voice, unexpected or misplaced requests, verify the identity of the caller, stay informed about the latest deepfake technology, and invest in liveness detection. Additional measures that consumers can take to safeguard themselves against deepfakes include not trusting unknown sources, being mindful of the content shared on social media, installing cybersecurity software, familiarizing oneself with loved ones’ voices and staying vigilant. By being aware of these threats and taking appropriate action, consumers can better safeguard themselves against deepfake attacks.
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As AI Technology Advancesthe rise of deep fakes represents a constantly evolving threat. These manipulated images, video, and audio use artificial intelligence to create convincing but false representations of people and events.
Of particular concern is voice spoofing, aka voice cloning, which uses AI to create a realistic-sounding recording of someone’s voice. Scammers have used voice deepfakes to replicate familiar voices, such as a relative or a banker, tricking consumers into parting with money or providing sensitive information.
In a recent incident, scammers tricked a couple of grandparents into thinking their grandson was locked up in prison and needed bail money, using a replica of their voice to call for help.
“They sucked us in,” said the poor grandmother. the washington post. “We were convinced that we were talking to Brandon.”
How do you protect yourself against such a sophisticated hoax?
“Consumers should be wary of unsolicited calls saying a loved one is in danger or messages asking for personal information, especially for financial transactions,” says Vijay Balasubramaniyan, co-founder and CEO of Pin dropa voice authentication and security company that uses artificial intelligence to protect businesses and consumers from fraud and abuse.
It offers these five signs that the voice on the other side may be AI.
Related: How Deepfake Tech Could Affect the Journalism Industry
Look for long pauses and signs of a distorted voice
Deepfakes still require the attacker to type sentences that become the target’s voice. This often takes time and results in long breaks. These pauses are unsettling for the consumer, especially if the request from the other side is urgent and involves a lot of emotional manipulation.
“But these long pauses are telltale signs that a fake system is being used to synthesize speech,” says Balasubramaniyan.
Consumers should also listen carefully to the voice on the other end of the call. If the voice sounds artificial or distorted in any way, it could be a sign of a deepfake. They should also watch for unusual speech patterns or unfamiliar accents.
Be skeptical of unexpected or misplaced requests
If you receive a phone call or message that seems out of place for the person you know or the organization that is contacting you, it could be a sign of a deepfake attack. Especially if you are subjected to emotional manipulation and high pressure tactics that attempt to force you to help the caller, hang up and independently call back the contact using a known phone number.
Verify the identity of the caller
Consumers should ask the caller to provide personal information or to verify their identity using a separate channel or method, such as an official website or email. This can help confirm that the caller is who they say they are and reduce the risk of fraud.
Stay informed about the latest deepfake technology
Consumers need to keep up to date with the latest advances in voice spoofing technology and how fraudsters use it to commit scams. By staying informed, you can better protect yourself against potential threats. The FTC Lists the most common phone scams on your website.
Invest in life detection
Liveness detection is a technique used to detect a forgery attempt by determining whether the source of a biometric sample is a living human or a forgery. This technology is offered by companies like Pindrop and others to help companies detect whether employees are talking to a real human or a machine pretending to be.
“Consumers should also make sure they do business with companies that are aware of this risk and have taken steps to protect their assets with these countermeasures,” says Balasubramaniyan.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/science-technology/5-ways-to-spot-and-avoid-deepfake-phone-scams/453561
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