A call from a relative in trouble with an AI-cloned voice: how to check

A call from a relative in trouble with an AI-cloned voice: how to check

The phone rings and it's your son. Or your granddaughter, or your partner. The voice is theirs, the way they talk is theirs, and they're upset: they've crashed the car, they've been arrested, they're stuck abroad, and they need money now. Then someone else comes on the line, a "solicitor", a "Garda" or "the other driver", and explains how to pay. Before you do anything, know this: a few seconds of audio taken from a video or a voice note is now enough to imitate someone's voice with artificial intelligence. The good news is that the defence is simple and costs nothing: hang up and ring them back yourself.

How does the cloned-voice scam work?

It's an updated version of the old "relative in trouble" call, with one new ingredient:

1. They get a sample of the voice. Videos on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, a voicemail greeting, a voice note forwarded in a group, or even a short call where they get the person to say a few sentences.
2. They clone it with readily available tools. It doesn't have to be perfect: a crying, panicked or broken voice over a bad line hides the flaws.
3. They pick the target: usually parents or grandparents, whose names and relationship are easy to piece together from social media.
4. They call with an emergency: an accident, an arrest, a hospital, a robbery abroad. The cloned voice says only a few words; then the "professional" takes over and handles the money side.
5. They ask for an immediate, hard-to-reverse payment: an instant bank transfer, a Revolut payment, cryptocurrency, gift cards or even cash collected at your door by a "courier".

What signs give the scam away?

• Extreme urgency and a ban on hanging up: "Don't hang up, there's no time."
• A demand for secrecy: "Don't tell Dad", "the Gardaí said not to tell anyone".
• A third person takes over the call as soon as the voice has done its job.
• The voice says little and avoids specific questions; if you ask something, they cry or the line "breaks up".
• The payment method is unusual: an account in someone else's name, crypto, gift cards, a courier calling to the house.
• The number is unknown or withheld, or they claim to be calling "from the station" or "from the hospital".

One point that clears up a lot: An Garda Síochána doesn't phone families to collect money for bail or fines, and no hospital asks for payment by phone before treating someone.

What do I do during the call?

1. Don't pay anything and don't give any details (card, PIN, codes received by text).
2. Hang up, however hard it is. A real emergency won't get worse because you took two minutes to check.
3. Ring the person yourself on their usual number, the one saved in your contacts. Don't call back the number that rang you.
4. If they don't answer, check through someone close to them: their partner, a sibling, a housemate, their workplace.
5. If they mention a Garda station or a hospital, look up the official number yourself (the Garda station directory lists every station) and ring to check.
6. Ask for the family code word if you have one (more on that below). A clone can copy a voice, but it can't guess a word you agreed in private.
7. Note down what you can: the number, the time, the names they gave, the account details they asked you to pay into.

How do I set up a family code word?

It's the most effective defence and it takes five minutes:

• Choose a word or phrase that doesn't appear on social media or in any chat: no pet names, birthdays or addresses.
• Share it in person with your closest family, and especially with older relatives.
• Agree the rule: "If someone calls with an emergency and asks for money, I'll ask for the word. If they don't know it, I hang up and ring back."
• Change it if you think someone outside the family has heard it.

As well as the code word, it's worth limiting how much of your voice is public: keep profiles private and think twice about posting long videos where you speak clearly.

What if I've already paid?

Act quickly, and don't blame yourself: these calls are designed to override caution.

1. Ring your bank on the official number (the back of your card or its app) and ask them to stop or recall the payment. With instant payments, minutes count. If you paid through Revolut or another app, use its in-app support.
2. If you handed cash to a "courier", call 999 or 112 straight away with a description of the person and any vehicle.
3. Report it at your local Garda station with every detail: number, time, account details, receipts. Keep the reference number, because the bank will often ask for it.
4. If you gave card details or codes, ask the bank to cancel the card and review recent activity.
5. Tell the family so they don't fall for a second call, which often comes.

If the bank refuses to refund you and you disagree, complain formally to the bank first; after that you can bring the complaint to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO).

Frequently asked questions

Can they really clone a voice from a few seconds of audio? Yes. Current tools can imitate tone and accent from short clips. The result isn't perfect, but over the phone and under stress it's convincing enough. The CCPC specifically warns about deepfake voice scams.

My relative has no social media. Am I safe? Not completely: a voicemail greeting or a short call where they got them to talk is enough. The code word protects you whatever the source of the audio.

What if the call comes from my relative's real number? Numbers can be spoofed. Hang up and ring the number yourself: if it's really them, they'll answer.

Does it make sense to ask questions to catch them out? It can help, but don't rely on it: scammers know a lot from social media. The safest thing is to hang up and ring back.

In short

A familiar voice is no longer proof of identity. Faced with an emergency call asking for money: don't pay, hang up, ring the usual number and ask for the code word. If you've already paid, ring your bank and the Gardaí straight away. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory so others are warned.