A new report shows that Robocall scams are on the rise in America, amid the advancement of AI that can clone voices – even that of US President Joe Biden.
This week, a fake recorded message impersonating Biden was unleashed in New Hampshire, urging Democrats to vote now in the primaries.
“Voting next Tuesday will only allow Republicans to re-elect Donald Trump. Your voice makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday,” victims heard on the phone.
The malicious campaign highlights the dangers of technology that is rampant in the US – Americans are affected by 78 billion robocalls and 225 billion robotexts per year – a jump of more than 50 percent from 2021.
New Hampshire residents received fake robocalls from an AI-generated voice that sounded like President Joe Biden was telling them not to vote during the presidential primaries
Americans receive more than 75 billion robocalls every year
New Hampshire State Representative Angela Brennan warned people about advancing AI technology and how accessible it is to scammers, following the fake Biden campaign.
“It’s not like the old days where it cost thousands of dollars to create a deep fake,” Brennan told me CBS News.
“We’re talking about something that someone can do on their phone in five minutes.
“It’s a very big problem and it’s something we all need to pay attention to,” Brennan said.
Scammers make robocalls saying they are from government agencies calling about your Social Security number, taxes or Medicare.
However, with the rise of AI, thieves can now clone a person’s voice using recordings of them speaking.
“The risk is real, with hackers potentially able to steal your identity, gain access to private accounts from social media to banking and deny you access to your own information,” said Sarah McConomy, chief operating officer of SellCell.com, which launched the research has been conducted. .
Every year, Americans lose approximately $65 billion to scammers
The company found that victims lost $65 billion to the scams in 2021, which equates to nearly $200 for every American.
The data also showed that Texas is the number one state that has received the most robocalls in the country, with residents receiving an estimated 448 spam calls annually.
And in second place were Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina and Illinois.
Americans received 78 billion robot texts and 31 billion robocalls between January and June last year, SellCell reported.
The report also predicted that Americans could lose up to $90 billion to phone scams by the end of 2023, but confirmed that robocalls were responsible for $65 billion in financial losses.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken steps in recent years to combat robocalls and robotexts by creating a robocalls response team to identify companies and individuals scamming Americans.
“If robocallers continue to make illegal phone calls targeting consumers, we are prepared to use every effort in our toolbox to take them offline and hold these offenders accountable,” said FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel.
Texas is the worst state for robocalls, with each resident receiving an estimated 448 spam calls annually
The FCC’s robocall response team has issued numerous warnings and says violators could be sentenced to up to a year in prison, a $20,000 fine for caller ID spoofing, and longer prison sentences for repeat offenders.
Phone users may experience signs that their phone has been hacked, such as battery draining faster than normal, pop-ups or spam activity, and if the phone runs slower than normal.
Fortunately, there are steps people can take to block unwanted robocalls and text messages, according to the FCC, which has set up a national Do Not Call list for landline and cell phone numbers.
US residents can register their numbers on the Do Not Call list by calling 1-866-290-4236 from the number they wish to register.
They can also register their phones on donotcall.gov.
Dailymail.com has reached out to the FCC for comment on the latest robocall scam report.