Local family warns of voice-cloning scam - The Avery Journal-Times

In April 2024, the parents of a University of North Carolina Asheville student were targeted by a sophisticated voice-cloning scam designed to extort money through a fake emergency. The perpetrators utilized artificial intelligence to mimic the student's voice, successfully deceiving his father during an early morning phone call.

What happened

The incident began at approximately 9:30 a.m. on April 9, when John Tashner received a call from someone sounding like his son, Andrew. The caller claimed to be in jail following a traffic accident where he had struck another vehicle while distracted by GPS. The voice was described as sounding emotional and congested, accurately mimicking the son's intonation. To add credibility, the scammers referenced a former roommate named Steven, suggesting a targeted approach.

Following the initial call, a second individual posing as an attorney named Mike Rothman contacted the family. This caller claimed to have connections to the presiding judge and urged the parents to secure $17,400 in cash for a bond payment. The scammers used aggressive pressure tactics, demanding the family act immediately and insisting they maintain total secrecy, refusing to provide contact information for the supposed friend involved in the incident.

Suspicion arose when the scammers discouraged the family from speaking to anyone else. The Tashners opted to verify the situation through a retired law enforcement officer, who confirmed that no one by their son's name had been booked at the jail. The family subsequently contacted their son directly, finding him asleep in his dorm. The phone number provided by the scammers was disconnected shortly after the family began their own inquiries. The Tashners documented the event in a memo to university officials, highlighting the danger of AI-enabled impersonation and the importance of verification strategies, such as using family code words and independently contacting loved ones.