AI scam calls and voice cloning: how to spot and stop them

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The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says a scammer could use AI to clone the voice of someone you love, using only a short clip of their voice, perhaps from something posted online. The UK's Report Fraud service says fraudsters use cloned voices to pretend they're in an urgent situation and ask for money. The fix is simple: don't trust the voice, check the story.

Quick answer

AI scam calls use a cloned voice of a relative, friend or official to ask for money urgently. Don't trust the voice or the caller ID. Hang up and call the person back on a number you already know. Agree a safe phrase with close family. In the UK, report scam calls by texting 7726 with "Call" and the number.

How do AI voice cloning scams work?

The call usually comes with a story and a deadline. Report Fraud describes AI voice cloning as fraudsters using AI to generate fake audio clips that impersonate the voice of someone you know or trust. They pretend to be in an urgent situation and ask for a payment.

The FBI says criminals generate short audio clips of a loved one's voice to impersonate a close relative in a crisis, asking for immediate financial help or demanding a ransom. It also says criminals have used AI-generated audio of individuals to get into their bank accounts, and AI voices to impersonate well-known public figures.

The FTC describes the family emergency version. The caller says they're in trouble, perhaps that they've crashed the car and landed in jail, and needs money. Scammers may pose as an authority figure, such as a lawyer or police officer dealing with your relative.

It isn't only family. The FBI has warned since 2025 about AI-generated voice messages claiming to come from senior US officials, and in September 2026 it said AI lets scammers appear as law enforcement and government officials on video calls.

What are the signs of an AI scam call?

The voice may sound right, so look at what the caller wants. The FBI says AI voice clones and real voices "can sound nearly identical", and that listening closely to tone and word choice can help. The more useful signs come from the official advice on phone scams:

  • Urgency. Report Fraud says fraudsters use a convincing story with a sense of urgency.
  • Pressure to keep it quiet. The FBI says impersonators urge victims not to tell family, friends, banks or the police, and try to keep them on the phone.
  • Payment that's hard to get back. The FTC says requests to wire money, send cryptocurrency or buy gift cards and share their numbers and PINs are signs of a scam.
  • A familiar number. Report Fraud says fraudsters can make their number look like one you know, called spoofing. Caller ID is not proof of identity.

Report Fraud also says genuine service providers, banks and the police will never call asking you to transfer money, share personal financial details or hand over control of your computer.

What should I do if I get one?

Hang up and check through a route you control. The steps below come from the FTC, Report Fraud and the FBI:

  1. Don't trust the voice. This is the FTC's own advice.
  2. Hang up. If you feel pressured or suspicious, end the call and take time to check. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) says that if you suspect someone isn't who they claim to be, hang up and contact the organisation directly, and don't use numbers given to you in the contact.
  3. Call back on a number you know. Ring your relative on their usual number. If you can't reach them, the FTC suggests trying another family member or their friends.
  4. For banks and the police, use official numbers. Report Fraud says to use the number on your card or a bill, call 159 to reach your bank, or 101 for the police.
  5. Don't pay. The FBI says never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or other assets to people you've met only online or over the phone.

How does a family safe phrase work?

Agree a word or phrase in advance that only your family knows. The FBI recommends creating a secret word or phrase with your family to verify their identity. Report Fraud gives the detail: agree a safe phrase with close friends and family, never share it outside that group, and if someone claiming to be a relative can't tell you the phrase, hang up immediately.

Can I stop my voice being cloned?

You can make it harder. The FBI suggests limiting the online content of your image or voice where possible, making social media accounts private and limiting followers to people you know. The FTC says the clip a scammer needs could come from content posted online.

The FBI also says AI-generated content is often difficult to identify, so the safe phrase and the call-back are the checks to rely on.

How do I report an AI scam call?

  • UK: text 7726 with the word "Call" followed by the scam caller's number. If you've lost money, the NCSC says to tell your bank and report it as a crime to Report Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), online at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101.
  • US: report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FBI asks people to report financial fraud to its Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, with the caller's details, how the contact began and any payment details.

Scam messages by email work the same way; our guide to fake security alert emails covers them, and our deepfake scams guide covers fake videos.

More questions

Can scammers really copy a voice from a short clip?

The FTC says a scammer needs only a short audio clip of your family member's voice, which could come from content posted online, and a voice-cloning program. The FBI says criminals generate short audio clips of a loved one's voice for these calls.

What if the call comes from my relative's real number?

Still check. Report Fraud says fraudsters can spoof numbers so the call shows a number you know and trust, and that caller ID is not proof of identity. Hang up and ring the person back yourself on the number you have saved.

Will my bank ever call and ask me to move money?

No. Report Fraud says genuine banks, service providers and the police will never call asking you to transfer money or share personal financial details. To check a call, hang up and dial 159, which connects you to your bank.

What safe phrase should my family use?

Anything memorable that only your close family and friends know. Report Fraud says never share it outside that group, and to hang up if a caller claiming to be family can't give it. The FBI recommends the same idea, calling it a secret word or phrase.

I already paid. What now?

The NCSC says to tell your bank and report it as a crime: to Report Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland on 101. Use the number on your card to reach the bank. In the US, report it to the FTC and the FBI's IC3.

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