Union County Sheriff’s Office warns of potential AI voice scams

By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, October 16th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

UNION COUNTY – The Union County Sheriff’s Office is wanting residents to be aware of the increased prominence of artificial intelligence (AI) voice and video scams. By sampling actual voice and video clips from social media and other online platforms, scammers can generate realistic, but ultimately fake, voices used in scam calls. In some instances, these generated voices can be made to resemble people familiar to the potential victim.

For those curious about how this process works, the Sheriff’s Office recommends researching “AI Voice Clone Scam” for examples. As to how to combat these scams, the Sheriff’s Office recently posted the following recommendations:

“Ways to Avoid Falling for an AI Voice Scam in Your Personal Life:

Set a Codeword: Establish a secret codeword with your children, family members, or trusted close friends—something only they would know. Make it a habit to ask for this codeword anytime they reach out unexpectedly via phone, text, or email, especially if they’re older or more vulnerable.

Question the Source: Whether it’s a call, text, or email from an unfamiliar sender—or even a number you recognize—always pause and think. Scammers rely on your instincts to trust familiar numbers. Ask specific questions that only your loved one would know, such as “What’s my son’s middle name?” or “When is your father’s birthday?” This can catch the scammer off guard and force them to pause, which may raise suspicion.

Control Your Emotions: Scammers often impersonate someone close to you to trigger an emotional response. Before reacting, step back and ask yourself: Does this sound like them? Is this something they would ask for? Instead of responding immediately, hang up and call the person directly or verify the situation independently.

Be Cautious with Unknown Numbers: If you receive an unexpected call from a number you don’t recognize, it’s often best not to answer. Let them leave a voicemail, which gives you time to assess the situation calmly and reach out to your loved ones on your own terms to ensure they’re safe.

Personal Example: When confirming my children’s identity, I ask them to recall details from private family moments, such as “Where did we go on our family vacation?”

Professional Considerations: While some of these suggestions may not apply in the workplace, the same principles used for spotting phishing emails can be helpful. Look for red flags: Is the call unusual or requesting something out of the ordinary? If anything seems off, escalate it to a supervisor for review.”