Artificial imposter: How AI technology fuelling rise in online voice scams

AI has already changed the game for cybercriminals. The barrier to entry has never been lower, which means it has never been easier to commit cybercrime. According to a research by McAfee's upcoming report, ‘The Artificial Imposter’, reveals how AI technology is fuelling a rise in online voice scams. McAfee’s researchers discovered that they had no trouble replicating accents from around the world, whether they were from the US, UK, India or Australia, but more distinctive voices were more challenging to copy. Excerpts from the report on India.

Experience of voice scams

• 47% of Indians know someone or have themselves been subject to AI voice scams - This is highest in India – almost double of global avg 25%

• 20% of Indians have not heard of AI Voice Scams

• 83% of Indian victims said they had a loss of money

• Of which with 48% losing over INR 50,000 and 35% lost under INR 50,000 cybercriminals cloning AI voice

Availability of audio / voice

• 86% of Indian adults sharing their voice data online or in recorded notes at least once a week (via social media, voice notes and more.

• 43% of Indians have shared something online that includes voice 1-2 times a week.

Scenarios

• 69% said they would respond and send money if they received a voicemail or voice note from a loved one or friend who said they been in a car accident / had car issue and needed help

• 70% would do the same if the voice note said they had been robbed and needed help.

• 65% if the person had lost their phone and wallet.

• 62% said they would if the person said they were travelling abroad and needed help.

• 39% said they would if the person said they were locked out of their online banking account and needed account code to login.

Telling the difference between real and fake

More than half (69%) of Indians think they don’t know or cannot tell the difference between AI voice and real voice.

• 38% of Indians think they cannot tell the difference between AI voice and real voice.

• 31% of Indians do not know if they can tell the difference between AI voice and real voice.

• 31% of Indians think they can tell the difference between AI voice and real voice.

The artificial intelligence survey was conducted by MSI Research via an online questionnaire between April 13 and April 19, 2023 among a sample of 7,054 adults aged 18 and over from seven countries. The sample size and date the survey was completed per country is as follows: 1,009 respondents in the US; 1,009 respondents in the UK; 1,007 respondents in France; 1,007 respondents in Germany; 1,004 respondents in Japan; 1,008 respondents in Australia; 1,010 respondents in India.