TULSA, Okla. — Your voicemail greeting could be the key that unlocks a sophisticated scam targeting you and your loved ones.
Cybersecurity expert Brian Long warns that deepfake technology has become so accessible that criminals can create convincing audio and video impersonations using just one photo and three seconds of your voice.
"These days, deepfakes can be created by anyone from an 8-year-old to an 80-year-old in just minutes," Long said. "All they need is one picture of you and about three seconds of your voice in order to make a deepfake of you."
The threat is exploding across the United States. Long says deepfake attacks increased by 17 times between 2023 and 2024, with more than 100,000 attacks recorded last year alone.
"Unfortunately, this year we're seeing even more growth," Long said.
How the scam works
Criminals call potential victims, whether they answer or the call goes to voicemail. They harvest voice samples from voicemail greetings, social media posts, or brief phone conversations to create convincing deepfakes.
These artificial recreations can then be used to scam family members and friends into sending money or sharing personal information like Social Security numbers, bank account details, or credit card information.
Long explains that scammers exploit the vast amount of personal information already available online, using it in increasingly sophisticated ways.
Protection strategies
Long recommends changing your voicemail greeting from your personal voice to a standard automated message to prevent criminals from capturing your voice sample.
He also warns people to watch for two major red flags in suspicious calls:
"They're often pushing two things - urgency and secrecy - they'll say, hey, I need you to do something right now and don't tell anyone," Long said.
Scammers using the deepfakes pretend to be friends, family members, or agents for businesses or government agencies. Using the deepfake they typically request money through apps, gift cards, or crypto-currency, or ask for sensitive personal information.
Additional safety measures
Long suggests silencing calls from unknown numbers on your phone, forcing them to go to voicemail first. This allows you to screen calls and verify their legitimacy.
If someone claims to represent a company or government agency, don't call back the number they used to contact you. Instead, look up the organization's official phone number and call it directly.
"Just because they know the name of your dog, or your child or something like that, doesn't mean that they are who they say they are," Long said.
What to do if targeted
If you receive a suspicious call with these warning signs, hang up immediately and report the attempted fraud to local police and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The technology continues to advance, with Long predicting that future attacks could involve real-time interactive phone conversations with completely artificial intelligence-powered deepfakes that can respond naturally to your questions and comments. This is another good reason to screen and verify calls going forward.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
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