In the old days, a popular scam to take your money was an email from the son of a Nigerian prince, who was sitting on $10 million and needed a bank account to put it temporarily.
A more up-to-date scam is on your smartphone, with a text about a road toll or a time share, or a pre-recorded voice advising you to pay your overdue taxes.
Always trying to stay ahead of their victims, scammers can now use AI technology to mimic a person’s voice in what is called an “imposter scam,” according to a Wall Street Journal story. It told the story of a panicking mother, Linda Roan, who was convinced by a scammer he was a kidnapper who was holding her adult daughter for ransom. It worked because she heard her daughter's AI-created plea for help.
Last year, people lost almost $3 billion to imposter scams, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Law enforcement expert Randy Sutton tells AFN the kidnapping scam is not the most common one being used to con you out of your money.
“More commonplace,” he advises, “in utilizing the voice technology is the travel scam. 'Hey, I'm on vacation and I've lost my money and my wallet got stolen. Could you wire me money?’”
In many scams there is an electronic trail to follow, such as that “Potential Spam” number that keeps calling you, but Sutton says many of the scammers are contacting potential victims from outside the country.
In the case of Roan, the panicking mother, police told her prosecuting the scammer was unlikely since the money was wired to Mexico.
Sutton says one way to protect your family is to choose a code word to use if you're really in trouble. "If I use the dog's name, send the money,” he advises.
