The Los Angeles County Sheriff says scammers use AI to copy voices and faces of people you trust, so a familiar voice asking for money is no longer proof.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is warning that scammers now use artificial intelligence, or AI, to copy voices, make realistic videos and write messages that look like they come from someone you know or trust.
The sheriff's example is a phone call from someone who sounds exactly like a family member and asks for money because of an emergency. The voice may seem familiar. The person on the line may be a scammer. In plain terms, a voice or a face on a screen can no longer prove who you are dealing with.
The department says technology is changing and so are the tactics scammers use. Any unexpected or suspicious request for money or personal details deserves a pause, even when it seems to come from someone close to you. The steps are in the alert box above. The core idea is simple: hang up and call the person back on a number you already know.
The notice does not say how many people have been targeted or how much money has been lost. It does not describe a specific case. Other California agencies have also put out scam alerts about AI voice cloning, including San Bernardino Police, so more than one department is raising the same concern. A few extra moments of checking is the cost of staying safe.
If a familiar voice asks for money, hang up and call back on a number you already know before you send anything.
The Attala County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi says scam calls are reaching residents, and a call that sounds official may not be.
Read more: Mississippi sheriff warns residents about scam phone callsScammers are posing as Texas sheriff's officers and claiming you missed jury duty. Caller ID can show a real police number even when the call is fake.
Read more: Fake jury duty calls spoof a real Texas sheriff's phone numberFake PayPal emails and texts, some posing as a security report, try to get you to tap a link and type your login. Checking your account directly avoids the trap.
Read more: Got a fake PayPal message? Skip its link and check your account yourself
