69-year-old man loses $1,000 to AI voice cloning scam impersonating grandson in Texas

Summary

A father in Texas warned others about AI voice scams after his father lost $1,000 to a scammer who impersonated his grandson using artificial intelligence. The scam occurred in Texas and involved a phone call where the scammer used AI to mimic the voice of the grandson, claiming he was in trouble in Mexico and needed money. The father sent $1,000 before realizing it was a scam after contacting his son, who was actually in Dallas. The Federal Trade Commission reported that impersonator scams, including AI voice cloning, were the most reported scams in 2022, causing $2.6 billion in losses. Experts advise remaining calm, verifying calls through direct contact, and using code words to help prevent falling victim to such scams.