| 'Heartbreaking' Voice Clone Hoax Haunts Family with Fake Ransom Call It was a terrorizing phone call that made an innocent family feel as if they were living their "worst day" ever. Scammers used artificial intelligence and sophisticated audio technology to clone a woman's voice to create a fake ransom call that caused the family immense fear and anxiety. The incident began when Lisa, a Californian resident, received a call from a fake voice that sounded exactly like her mother, who is from the Midwest. The voice clone demanded a large sum of money as ransom. Lisa immediately recognized that the caller was a fraudster and contacted the police. However, the emotions of the moment had already taken their toll on the family. "I was so scared. It was like my worst day, ever," Lisa told Fox News. Experts suggest that the voice cloning technology used by the scammers is becoming increasingly available, with online software allowing users to generate fake audio from uploaded recordings. David, a security researcher with several years of experience in this field, stated that the technology can be used for criminal activities and to target unsuspecting victims. "Organized criminals are using this technology to target people and cause a lot of distress. This incident highlights that we must remain vigilant against these kinds of threats or else we would be at the mercy of scammers and hackers," he said. This hoax serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers posed by voice cloning technology. It is important to stay aware of the risk and take immediate action if such a call is received. Lisa concluded with one last message of warning, urging people to "stay safe". |