Asger Risom
Scam phone calls have been around for years, but the tactics behind them are changing fast.
Scam phone calls have been around for years, but the tactics behind them are changing fast. UK network O2 says it now blocks about 50 million suspicious calls every month, and cybersecurity researchers warn that a growing share of those calls are no longer made by humans at all.
Criminal groups are increasingly using AI voice-cloning tools to impersonate banks, tax agencies, delivery firms and even relatives. The technology has become so cheap and accessible that organized crime groups that once relied on basic scripts can now produce near-flawless audio with minimal effort.
How AI makes scam calls more convincing
Voice cloning no longer requires long recordings or studio-quality audio. According to Naveed Janmohamed, CEO of the AI research assistant Anara, modern tools can recreate a convincing voice from just a few seconds of speech.
That gives scammers the ability to create calls that sound like a real employee or even a familiar family member. Combined with spoofed phone numbers, these calls can be extremely difficult to distinguish from genuine ones.
“The technology behind these scams has developed very quickly,” Janmohamed says. “Today’s AI needs just seconds of your voice to create convincing clones, letting criminals pose as your bank or tax office without setting off alarm bells.”
Signs the voice on the line isn’t real
Even though synthetic voices are improving, they still tend to glitch in ways that humans don’t. Experts point to three common red flags:
- Long or unnatural pauses after you ask a question
- Background noise that appears or vanishes abruptly
- Difficulty answering unexpected or off-script questions
If a caller asking for personal or financial information behaves strangely in any of these ways, Janmohamed says it’s safest to hang up immediately and contact the institution directly using an official number.
Pressure tactics are your biggest warning sign
AI or not, scammers rely on creating urgency. Callers who try to rush you into making a decision, refuse to verify who they are, or dodge simple questions should be treated as suspicious.
Legitimate organizations rarely ask for sensitive information over the phone without prior notice, and they do not pressure customers into instant actions.
Why reporting these scams matters
Victims often avoid coming forward because they feel embarrassed or assume nothing can be done. But that silence helps scammers continue operating.
Authorities encourage reporting every incident, even if no money was lost. In the United States, reports can be filed through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. In the UK, victims can use Action Fraud.
Criminals depend on speed, automation and your willingness to trust — and AI is giving them new tools on all fronts. A little caution on the phone now goes a long way toward preventing the next wave of voice-cloning cons.
Sources: Betanews, Anara
