Stop the Steal

3 AI Scams FCCU Members Must Watch Out For

AI technology allows criminals to generate highly realistic, personalized, and rapid fraud attempts that are harder to spot than traditional scams:

1. AI Voice Cloning Scams

This is one of the most immediate and terrifying threats. Scammers use small audio clips (often found online from social media or even voicemail recordings) to clone a person's voice. They then call you, impersonating a loved one—like a child, grandchild, or spouse—claiming to be in urgent trouble (e.g., arrested, kidnapped, or in an accident) and desperately needing money transferred immediately.

  • The Deception: The voice on the phone sounds exactly like your family member, creating an emotional panic that bypasses rational thought.

2. AI-Enhanced Phishing and Smishing

AI can analyze massive amounts of data to craft phishing emails (email) and smishing texts (SMS) that are nearly flawless. Gone are the obvious grammatical errors and generic greetings. AI-generated messages are now highly personalized, using accurate information about you or FCCU to appear legitimate.

  • The Deception: The message might reference a recent transaction or a specific service you use, compelling you to click a malicious link to "verify" or "resolve" an issue.

3. Deepfake Video Scams

While less common than voice cloning, deepfake videos are used in investment scams. Scammers create a convincing video of a seemingly trustworthy expert or celebrity promoting a fake cryptocurrency or investment opportunity. They may even create a deepfake of a high-ranking FCCU employee to give the fraud a false sense of legitimacy.

  • The Deception: The professional quality of the video and the convincing speaker trick you into sharing funds or account details for a fraudulent "guaranteed" return.

Letha Higgins