By now you know that technological advancements have positive and negative repercussions. Leaning into artificial intelligence for your business needs can bring you help with marketing, automation, and even data insights. On the flip side, identity fraud, AI voice cloning scams, and deepfake content can make doing business very difficult.
It’s understandable why you as a business owner would have concerns about each of these issues. In this article, we’ll discuss AI voice cloning scams, how they impact your business, and how Rhode Island Telephone services can help combat them.
Have You Heard the News?
AI voice cloning scams are on the rise. You may have heard of the “grandparent scam” or the “family emergency scam.” They’re similar in that a voice that sounds like someone the receiver may know is in distress and needs money. It can be very difficult to determine if the person on the other end is the person they claim to be.
Unknowing victims hand over personal or financial information resulting in disastrous financial outcomes or stolen identity. Unfortunately, the FCC says these crimes are on the rise and there are no laws currently in place to make AI Voice generated robocalls illegal.
These types of scams are no longer personal. They’re working against businesses too.
Business Problems Caused by AI Voice Cloning Scam
Scammers are gaining access to real voices by hacking into business phone numbers and voicemails. With just a small sample of the voice they are able to clone it, even duplicating inflections that sound like you, and then use it to manipulate and steal from customers, clients, or the public.
AI Voice cloning scams present many challenges for businesses. These are some of the potential risks:
Security and Fraud Challenges: it’s increasingly difficult for businesses to authenticate identities over phone calls or other audio communication channels. This technology can be used to impersonate CEOs, executives, or other key personnel to authorize fraudulent transactions, manipulate stock prices, or gain sensitive information.
Reputation Risks: Companies that fall victim to voice cloning scams could suffer significant reputational damage. Stakeholders may lose trust in the company’s ability to protect sensitive information, impacting customer loyalty, investor confidence, and market perception.
Insurance or Liability Concerns: The rise in voice cloning scams could lead to changes in business insurance policies, with insurers possibly raising premiums or altering coverage terms for cyber liability. Companies may also need to reevaluate their liability in cases of fraud and determine how to handle financial losses incurred due to these scams.
As technology advances, laws, regulations, and consumer/business responses will surely change. It’s important to have a plan and review with your employees and associates to update procedures as needed.
Fighting Back
There are steps you can take to make it harder for artificial intelligence to gain sensitive information (or voices).
- Share on your social media channels, website, newsletter, or other communication platform how you will communicate with your customers and the type of information you request via telephone.
- Make it a point to tell your customers how their bills should be paid or what questions are typically asked over the phone.
- It’s generally good practice not to ask for bank or credit card information over the phone.
- If a customer feels the call they are receiving is suspicious, tell them to HANG UP and call back. Customers (and employees) should be skeptical and verify requests that seem unusual.
- Scammers using artificial intelligence can also collect voices from a received call so it’s important to get off the call immediately with as little dialogue as possible.
- Let your customers know WHO they should be receiving a call from or the representatives that may reach out at any given time. If it’s not typical of an owner, executive, or CEO to be calling customers, then make this known.
- If you think your business has been compromised by a voice cloning scam, call your local police department. Having official documentation of reported fraud may be able to help you with any claims.
Rhode Island Telephone Can Help You Fight Telecom Scams
If you’re a Rhode Island Telephone customer, one of the great features of our VoIP platform is recorded voicemail. Our system allows you to create a script that is read by generated voice, removing your real voice entirely. It can be easily updated, something you can do on your own or have one of our trained technicians do for you.
Suppose your office uses automated call routing to direct callers to the appropriate department or extension. In that case, you can also use this process and eliminate your office staff from having to record their voices.
Real people with bad intentions can also hurt your business reputation by stealing your business or personal phone number, a practice commonly known as spoofing.
This has serious implications for your business and we want to remind you how to prevent business call blocking. Taking the recommended steps to register your business number adds roadblocks to potential scammers.
Protecting and supporting our customers is at the forefront of our business. If you have our VoIP product and want to learn how to use automated voice recordings, or if you want to protect your business with a new telecommunications system, please reach out to us.
It’s vital you stay on top of changes in the telecommunication and technology industries, as they’re evolving quickly. Stay informed (we’re here to help)!
