Weird ‘breathing’ to listen error exposes expensive AI ‘deepfake audio’ scam calls that only take seconds to make

LISTEN carefully to every call you receive: a simple breathing error could give it away as an AI spoof.

Criminals are exploiting artificial intelligence “deepfakes” that clone a person’s voice with frightening accuracy.

All an AI needs is just a few seconds of audio to accurately replicate a voice and have it read a criminal’s script aloud.

When it comes to scams, criminals often pose as a voice you recognize.

Could be a friend, family member, or another loved one – or maybe even a boss, like the CEO of your company.

Now, cybersecurity experts at McAfee have revealed some of the telltale signs that you’re listening to “deepfake audio.”

And one of the biggest clues concerns breathing.

“Another marker of a possible spoof is when the speaker appears not to be breathing,” explained McAfee’s Jasdev Dhaliwal.

“AI tools don’t always take this natural part of speech into account.

“It’s subtle, but when you know how to listen, you’ll notice when a person doesn’t pause to breathe.”

RED ALERT

There are some other signs to look out for as well.

First, listen to the content of the message and ask yourself if it seems strange.

Second, imagine the person speaking and what they usually sound like. Does their speech pattern sound strange?

Notice whether they use words or phrases that they normally wouldn’t use.

And also pay attention to strange pauses, which could be a sign that the audio is being “stitched”.

Phone scam statistics

Americans are bombarded with three billion spam calls per month. What are the numbers regarding the number of victims and the amount of money lost to fraudsters

• In 2022, Americans lost an estimated $39.5 billion to phone fraud, with 68.4 million US citizens affected, according to TechReport.
• The average phone scam victim lost $567.41 each in 2021, a huge increase from the figure of $182 per victim in 2021, according to Hiya.
• Most scams happen over the phone, with fraudsters twice as likely to call compared to text in 2021, as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports.
• In 2021, the US saw a 56% increase in spam phone calls, with 60% of those robocalls.
• US residents receive an average of 18 spam phone calls per month, although some experts believe the real number could be as high as 31 per month.
• Many phone calls from reputable companies can be mistakenly marked as spam, but 38% of companies have no idea whether they are being marked as “potential fraud” or not, according to Hiya.
• Never provide personal or financial information if you suspect a phone call is a scam. For example, your bank will never ask for these full details over the phone.
• To reduce spam calls and scams, sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers, by law, will need to check this list before calling you.
• Downloading third-party apps like Hiya, Nomorobo or Truecaller can help filter annoying spam calls.
• Try not to share your phone number unless necessary, especially online or with sketchy sources.

STAY SAFE

Another smart trick to avoid falling for AI voice scams is to use a safe word.

You will need to set this up in advance with your family members or colleagues.

That way, if you get a call asking money urgently from one of them, you can verify the request using a safe word.

If they say they forgot, you could also try asking for very personal shared information that couldn’t be found online – like a memory that other people wouldn’t know about.