More than 83 percent voice scam victims in India have lost money due to AI voice cloning: Survey

The McAfee survey included 7,054 people from seven countries, including the US, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and India. Out of 7,054 participants, 1,010 respondents were from India.

AI-powered voice fraud on the rise

As per the report, the percentage of Indian adults who have come across or are aware of someone who has encountered an AI voice scam is 47 percent, which is nearly twice the global average of 25 percent.

According to the survey, 69 percent of Indians are unable to distinguish between an AI-generated voice and a real voice. Citing the survey, a PTI report also mentioned that 83 percent of Indian victims reported a monetary loss, with 48 percent losing more than Rs 50,000.

How to keep yourself safe from AI-powered voice fraud?

• Set up a “codeword” that only the kids, family members, or close friends could understand. Make a plan to always ask for it, especially if they are older or more fragile and call, text, or email you for help.
• Always have doubts about the source. Stop, pause, and think if you get a call, text, or email from someone you don’t know, or even if it’s from a number you know. Does that sound like them at all? Would they ask you to do this? Put the phone down and call the person directly, or try to confirm the information before you reply or send money.
• Before you click and share, stop and think. Who do you know through social media? Is your familiarity with them sufficient to place your trust in them? Think about the internet friends and connections you make. The more people you know and the more you share with them, the more likely it is that your name could be stolen and used for bad things.
• Identity tracking services can help you make sure that your private information is not available to the public or let you know if it ends up on the Dark Web. Take charge of your personal information so that a cybercriminal can’t use it to pretend to be you.