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Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

abc7news.com

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Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#11

This seems to be partly a technological problem. We will soon need secured, authenticated modes of communication that can verify a person’s voice. A similar problem is emerging for photos and videos. We also soon need cryptographically signed devices in order to be used in journalism or to be admissible in court. Otherwise we are going back 150 years where we depend on in-person communication and eyewitness accounts.

There's nothing wrong with those technologies, but they won't address this kind of crime.

Scammers aren't looking to defeat or even challenge voice identification. They're looking for that one person who's having a bad day and is susceptible to getting tricked. All they need is to find that person to earn their quota for the day. They'd actually appreciate it if 99% of the population used Voice Supr-Sure-Auth 3000™ technology, because that would make it more efficient for them to reach the 1% who don't.

This is why the Nigerian prince emails have typos. They're not trying to convince you their email is authentic. They're trying to find the person who isn't sophisticated enough to think in terms of email authenticity.

Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#13
post #10

This scam has existed for decades, just hasn't used "AI" before to fake the voice. My grandma was often a target of scammers calling up and pretending to be her daughters or grandsons and wanting to get money out of her. She was luckily mentally quick enough to realise what was happening and hang up.

This sounds targeted, like 2 degrees of separation

Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#14
post #11

This seems to be partly a technological problem. We will soon need secured, authenticated modes of communication that can verify a person’s voice. A similar problem is emerging for photos and videos. We also soon need cryptographically signed devices in order to be used in journalism or to be admissible in court. Otherwise we are going back 150 years where we depend on in-person communication and eyewitness accounts.

There's nothing wrong with those technologies, but they won't address this kind of crime. Scammers aren't looking to defeat or even challenge voice identification. They're looking for that one person who's having a bad day and is susceptible to getting tricked. All they need is to find that person to earn their quota for the day. They'd actually appreciate it if 99% of the population used Voice Supr-Sure-Auth 3000™ t…

Fair points.

More broadly, I think this an instance of how AI/Deep Learning is turning over technologies (photos, video, voice communications) we have come to rely upon, and for us to continue to rely upon, they will need to be radically reworked with security as a starting point, not an afterthought.

Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#15
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's nothing wrong with those technologies, but they won't address this kind of crime. Scammers aren't looking to defeat or even challenge voice identification. They're looking for that one person who's having a bad day and is susceptible to getting tricked. All they need is to find that person to earn their quota for the day. They'd actually appreciate it if 99% of the population used Voice Supr-Sure-Auth 3000™ t…

Fair points. More broadly, I think this an instance of how AI/Deep Learning is turning over technologies (photos, video, voice communications) we have come to rely upon, and for us to continue to rely upon, they will need to be radically reworked with security as a starting point, not an afterthought.

One of the least enjoyable parts of the Singularity, for sure.

Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#16

66 trackers blocked in Brave on this website. Can someone explain what all these trackers are needed for versus on websites with less? Facebook or Discord or Twitter only have 1 or 0 blocked and I'm sure they are tracking my just as much.

They're needed for extra revenue for KGO-TV. (Which is owned by Disney.)

Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#17
post #6

TOTP can be used today to authenticate a couple to each other over an untrusted medium. It’s rather high friction; you have to set it up in advance, and then read a six digit number over the phone. And I am not sure that it mitigates the threats… in this situation, I suspect it wouldn’t. It could even make the situation worse if the daughter is genuinely in trouble but can’t access the authenticator. But I can’t thin…

A confirmation phrase and a poison pill phrase, don't overcomplicate it. This can be generated, shared and changed easily and with no tech.

Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#18
post #10

This scam has existed for decades, just hasn't used "AI" before to fake the voice. My grandma was often a target of scammers calling up and pretending to be her daughters or grandsons and wanting to get money out of her. She was luckily mentally quick enough to realise what was happening and hang up.

This sounds targeted, like 2 degrees of separation

It's just opportunistic people calling old people over the phone in hopes of tricking them into handing over some money for "an emergency" by claiming they're a relative. Really low effort scams, I'm not surprised they're using generative AIs to fake voices now, same sort of low-effort operation.

Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#19
post #6

TOTP can be used today to authenticate a couple to each other over an untrusted medium. It’s rather high friction; you have to set it up in advance, and then read a six digit number over the phone. And I am not sure that it mitigates the threats… in this situation, I suspect it wouldn’t. It could even make the situation worse if the daughter is genuinely in trouble but can’t access the authenticator. But I can’t thin…

I think a verbal password works just fine here. But it has to be something that you are 100% positive the other person wouldn't forget, otherwise it's not effective.

Also sending this article to family members so they're aware of this kind of thing.

Re: Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice

#20

66 trackers blocked in Brave on this website. Can someone explain what all these trackers are needed for versus on websites with less? Facebook or Discord or Twitter only have 1 or 0 blocked and I'm sure they are tracking my just as much.

They're needed for extra revenue for KGO-TV. (Which is owned by Disney.)

That doesn't address my question but I appreciate your reply.
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