In the city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, there has been an increase in voice scams that have cost thousands of individuals millions of dollars. These scams use advanced technology to manipulate voice recordings and trick people into sending their money.
According to Nicole Cordero of BBB Eastern Carolinas, all it takes for scammers to carry out a successful voice cloning scam is a three-second clip of someone’s voice, which can easily be found on social media. Once they have cloned the voice, scammers can use it to create urgent situations that prompt victims to quickly send their money.
Paul Cerkez, a computer science professor at Coastal Carolina University, explains how voice cloning works. By creating a clone database of a person’s voice, scammers can generate sentences in that person’s voice from just text. This allows them to sound convincing and manipulate victims into sending their money.
Imposter scams have become increasingly common with consumers losing a record $10 billion in 2023. Most scammers ask for money through wire transfers, Venmo or Cash App. To protect yourself from these types of scams, the BBB advises against acting immediately when someone asks you for money. If in doubt, do not send any money and always make sure to secure your accounts to prevent fraud.
