AI Scams: Protect Yourself.
What should you do in the following scenario? You receive a phone call from an unknown number, and when you answer, you recognize the voice. Maybe it’s a spouse, a kid, a grandkid, or your best friend. They tell you that they’ve been in a car accident and need some money to pay hospital bills. They give you a bank account number to wire the money to. What do you do? 🤔
A. Send the money; it sounds like they need it.
B. Hang up and call the police.
C. Drive to the hospital to pay in person.
D. Hang up and call their phone number.
A scam going around today involves calling the victim and using AI to impersonate the voice of a friend or family member. The scammer, using the AI voice, will usually explain that they are in some kind of trouble, such as being in the hospital or jail, and that they urgently need money.
A woman in California experienced a version of this scam in which she received a call from a stranger who claimed they were with the Mexican cartel and had her daughter. As proof, they played a recording of the daughter’s voice begging her mom to comply. The woman then wired thousands of dollars to the person on the other end of the phone call. It was only later that she called her daughter directly and realized she had been scammed.
If you receive a phone call from a panicked friend or family member asking for money, the best thing you can do is D. Hang up and call their number, stay calm and call your loved one at a number that you trust to find out if they are really in danger or not. If they don’t answer, try reaching out to someone who might know where they are, like a close friend or another family member. If the person claiming to be your loved one gave a specific location, like the hospital or jail, you can also try calling the hospital itself or your local police department’s non-emergency line. Never send money to strangers over the phone without first verifying they are who they say they are.
Any opinions are those of Landon Vick and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete; it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and it does not constitute a recommendation. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional. Be sure to contact a qualified professional regarding your particular situation before making any investment or withdrawal decisions.
