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AI voice cloning: An $11 tool recreates your voice so well, even family members may be tricked

An investigation from KMBC 9 put artificial intelligence to the test, cloning reporter Byra Berry's voice using just $11 of software. The experiment demonstrated how easily scammers can replicate a person's voice from publicly available social media audio.
Tenfold Security cybersecurity expert Aaron Weissenfluh collected 32 minutes of audio from YouTube and Facebook to build the clone. Weissenfluh required no studio or script, relying entirely on footage already posted online.
Berry called her cousin using the AI-generated voice to test its authenticity. Although the cousin eventually noticed pauses in conversation, the voice itself proved convincing enough to fool her into believing she was speaking with Berry.
A Pennsylvania woman lost $60,000 to a voice-cloning scam, prompting FBI involvement in the case. The incident underscores risks of relying solely on voice recognition when callers claim emergencies or request money.
To protect yourself, establish a family code word to verify identity during emergencies. The FBI advises: "Hang up and call that person using a number you already know" to confirm their identity.

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