Scammers are using AI to bilk victims out of millions: Here's how to protect yourself
Cruel scammers are cheating elderly people out of millions of dollars with a new high tech scam that uses AI to find their grandchildren's voices on TikTok and then use the sounds to make phony phone calls designed to trick the seniors, cops on Long Island warned Friday.
The scam involves criminals finding a vulnerable and elderly person with grandkids — then scouring social media sites like TikTok for videos of the young people speaking.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina (right) warned of a new AI scam Friday.
Dennis A. Clark
They then use voice-cloning software and spoofed phone numbers to make panicked calls pretending to be that grandchild, claiming they've been arrested or hurt and urgently need bail money or medical funds.
'They're always trying to stay a step ahead,' Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina told The Post on Friday.
Catalina confirmed the department has been seeing a growing number of these cases, and said the software criminals are using can perfectly emulate someone else's voice — often fooling the area's vulnerable and elderly population.
'It's often times a grandchild scheme we're seeing, where the individual will call and say that they are in some kind of trouble that requires money,' Catalina said.
Police said victims have been duped into forking over thousands of dollars in cash and wire transfers — thinking they're rescuing a loved one when in fact they're being scammed by a synthetic voice and a criminal on the other end of the line.
Catalina said the department has seen an uptick in these types of scams in recent months and warned the public to stay vigilant, especially when receiving emotional pleas involving money and secrecy.
He advised families to establish a 'safe word' in case of emergencies, and to reach out to the person they are claiming to be after receiving the call to confirm directly before transferring any money.
As for the scammers, Catalina warned that the department is making these crimes a high priority given the large amount of cases.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said as AI continues to progress, scams will get more sophisticated
dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
'If we find the individuals who do this, who know exactly who they're stealing from, we will prosecute you to the fullest — these crimes are a priority to us and we're gonna make sure that we get to the bottom of this,' Catalina said.
In 2023, over 3,000 scams were reported on Long Island — resulting in over $126 million stolen from mostly senior citizens, according to the most recent data from AARP.
Nearly $74 million was stolen from Nassau, and almost $54 million was taken in Suffolk that year alone.
And Catalina warned it will only get worse as AI continues to progress.
'They're getting more and more sophisticated, so everybody has to be very careful,' he said.
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