Cybercrime has been reinventing itself with increasingly sophisticated methods, exploring new technologies and human vulnerabilities. But it is not always necessary to resort to complex schemes to deceive victims. Sometimes a simple trick is enough to cause serious damage to your bank account.
According to the Spanish newspaper El Economista, a new telephone fraud is circulating that uses voice cloning to authorize fraudulent banking, sign fake contracts or even assume the identity of third parties.
The scheme begins with a seemingly harmless call: on the other side, there may be no sound or, alternatively, someone presents himself as representative of a credible company or entity. The goal is to lead the victim to pronounce one of three keywords.
The words to avoid
According to cybersecurity experts, cited by the same source, expressions such as “yes”, “ok” and “accepted” can be enough to feed artificial intelligence systems capable of replicating the victim’s voice with great accuracy. This imitation can then be used to validate transactions or approve contracts without the actual consent of the targeted person.
How can you protect yourself
Consumer Protection Authorities and Associations, cited by the, recommend that, before unquitedly called calls, sensitive data such as bank information or passwords will never be provided. If there is any suspicious sign, such as prolonged silence, strange questions or insistence on obtaining affirmative answers, it is best to turn off immediately.
Another essential measure to protect your bank account is to directly confirm the identity of those who call, contacting the institution through official channels before making any decision. In most situations, as said before, criminals go through credible sources.
These simple precautions can be decisive to avoid falling into a scheme that takes advantage of emerging technologies and a moment of carelessness.
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