Criminals use AI voice cloning to commit financial fraud in the UK
Criminals in the UK are using AI voice cloning technology in a sophisticated fraud scheme that targets residents through fake survey calls, creating copies of victims' voices to set up unauthorised direct debits and financial payments without their knowledge. National Trading Standards and consumer watchdog Which? have issued alerts warning people to hang up such calls immediately.
What happened
Criminals are targeting UK residents with unexpected phone calls purporting to be non-existent 'lifestyle surveys' designed to gather personal, health and financial details.
While victims answer survey questions, fraudsters use AI voice cloning technology to create near-perfect copies of their voices, which are then used to set up direct debits and unauthorised payments to banks and other financial providers without the victim's knowledge.
Reported impact
Louise Baxter, head of the National Trading Standards scams team, described the scheme as 'a deeply disturbing combination of old and new' and 'a coordinated, sophisticated operation targeting some of the most situationally vulnerable consumers in society.'
Index analysis
According to Which?, AI voice cloning tools are 'getting better and more convincing' at recreating voice tone and accent.
Governance controls
National Trading Standards has issued alerts warning people to hang up unexpected survey calls immediately and to check bank statements regularly and report suspicious activity.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.