Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, using artificial intelligence to clone voices, create fake videos, and impersonate loved ones in distress, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department Fraud Unit.
Detective Michael Wilson said scammers are using AI technology to manipulate images and voices, making their schemes more convincing than ever.
“Scammers have no limitations when it comes to the way they reach out to people—email, text, phone calls—they’ll use it all,” Wilson said.
One common scam involves impersonating family members in distress, often claiming to need bail money. Scammers use spoofed numbers to make it appear as though calls are coming from a trusted source, such as law enforcement.
“They’re calling victims using a spoofed sheriff’s department number, so when the victim receives the call, it looks like the actual sheriff’s department is calling them,” Wilson said.
Wilson demonstrated how easily scammers can manipulate technology by spoofing my phone number and placing a call that appeared to come from me. He explained that modern AI can clone a person’s voice with just 10 to 12 seconds of audio.
Scammers often target older adults because they typically have more financial resources, Wilson said.
The Sheriff’s Department urges people to educate family members about these scams and suggests creating a code word to verify a caller’s identity. Other red flags include requests for payment through gift cards or cryptocurrency. Officials also advise victims to save any information related to a scam to assist with investigations.
