Toledo grandmother warns of AI voice cloning scams - WTVG

An 82-year-old Toledo woman is warning others about AI voice cloning scams after she was targeted. The scammer impersonated her grandson, attempting to extract thousands of dollars.

What happened

The woman received a call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be her 18-year-old grandson, and his voice sounded exactly like him. He said he was arrested for having drugs in a car and needed $8,000 for bail, asking her not to tell his parents. The woman became skeptical and called her daughter-in-law, who confirmed that her grandson was with her. A cybersecurity consultant noted that voice cloning tools are readily available online and can be used to clone voices from voicemail greetings or other recordings. The consultant advises skepticism regarding calls from unknown numbers and recommends verifying the caller's identity by calling them back on a known, trusted number.