AI impersonation scams are getting harder to spot

In short: Criminals are using AI to convincingly impersonate celebrities, companies, and even relatives, which makes older “just look closely” scam advice less reliable.

What's going on

AI tools can copy a person’s voice from short clips found online, like social posts or a voicemail greeting. Scammers then use that cloned voice to leave messages or make phone calls that sound like a real family member or coworker.

They can also create deepfake video, which is video edited by AI to make it look like someone said or did something they never did (like putting one person’s face on another person’s video). Reports describe fake celebrity videos promoting investments, miracle health products, and charity drives on social media. Some security firms warn that even trained professionals can struggle to spot these fakes without special tools.

The same playbook shows up in fake online stores, too. Criminals can quickly make realistic product photos, copy brand logos, and build official-looking websites to collect payments or card details. At the same time, the classic scam signals still appear, like surprise contact, urgent pressure, secrecy, and requests for odd payment methods such as gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.

What to watch

Experts increasingly recommend behavior and verification checks, not trusting what you see or hear. That means calling a relative back on a number you already have, looking up a company’s website yourself instead of clicking links, and treating unexpected video or audio as possibly fake by default. Think of it like getting a second opinion before you move money or share private information.

Source: NYTimes