Fraudsters stealing people’s identity:Voice imitation leading to face-voice cloning, avoid this scam by following these 10 precautions

Cyber criminals are adopting new tactics every day to deceive innocents. In this series, a new scam has come to light. In this scam, fraudsters first steal people’s identities and then use them to commit fraud and scams. Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police has alerted people about this. According to the police, fraudsters ask people for mobile-related help in crowded places (such as malls, metro stations and markets). They present themselves as technically less aware. During this time, the fraudster’s phone is already in video-audio recording mode. As soon as the person takes the phone to help, within a few seconds their face and voice get recorded. Cyber fraudsters use this for fraud. This has been named the ‘Face-Voice Cloning’ scam. The ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C) has also issued an alert regarding this scam. Therefore, in today’s ‘Cyber Literacy’ column, we will discuss the ‘Face-Voice Cloning’ scam. We will also learn that- What types of fraud can occur through ‘face-voice cloning’ and What precautions should be taken to avoid such scams? Question- What is ‘face-voice cloning’ scam? Answer- This is a new AI-based cyber fraud. In this, fraudsters record a small sample of a person’s face and voice and create a digital copy (clone) of it. Question- How do scammers execute ‘Face-Voice Cloning Fraud’? Answer- Understand it through pointers- 1. Choosing the Target 2. Approaching Under the Pretext of ‘Help’ Scammers present themselves as if they are- Elderly person alone, unfamiliar with the city, doesn’t understand technology. They make a small request- 3. Face-Voice Capture You extend a helping hand thinking the person is genuine. But as soon as you help- 4. Creating Biometric Clone with AI From the recorded data, scammers- Understand the complete ‘game’ of scam from the graphic below- Question- If we post our photos/videos on social media, can scammers misuse them? Answer- Yes, photos and videos posted on public profiles can be misused. Scammers can download them and use AI to clone faces and voices. With this, they can commit fraud by creating fake calls, videos or IDs. Question- Who are more targeted by ‘Face-Voice Cloning’ scams? Answer- In such scams, those people are more targeted whose information can be easily obtained or who are not vigilant. Such as- Question- Is cloning possible with just a few seconds of voice? Answer- Yes, with the help of advanced AI technology, voice cloning is possible even with just a few seconds of audio. AI systems can copy the tone, pitch and style of a voice from a small sample and create an exactly similar voice. Question- What types of fraud can occur through ‘Face-Voice Cloning’? Answer- Through face-voice cloning, scammers can create fake identities and commit various types of fraud. See all the risks in the graphic below- Question- What precautions should be taken to avoid such scams? Answer- With a little caution, you can avoid ‘Face-Voice Cloning Scams’. See safety tips in the graphic below- Question- How to identify deepfake photos, videos and voice? Answer- Deepfakes have certain signs that help in identifying them. See all the ways to identify deepfake photos, videos and voice in the graphic- Question- If you become a victim of ‘face-voice cloning fraud’, what should you do immediately? Answer- In such a situation, instead of panicking, take immediate correct steps. This will minimize damage and prevent further fraud. See in the graphic what to do immediately-

Question- Where to complain about ‘Face-Voice Cloning Fraud’? Answer- For this, immediately call the National Cyber Crime Helpline number 1930. Apart from this, you can also file an online complaint by visiting cybercrime.gov.in. If needed, also file a report at the nearest police station, so that action can be taken in time.