{
  "id": 16316543,
  "title": "Scammers used AI to clone her daughter’s voice and fake a kidnapping. A voice expert says every family now needs a safe word",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/scammers-used-ai-to-clone-her-daughters-voice-and-fake-a-kidnapping-a",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-24T10:36:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/24/ai-voice-cloning-scam-fake-kidnapping-safe-word/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent reports warn that AI technology can clone a person's voice with minimal audio, leading to a rise in voice-based scams. A survey found that 12% of scams in the US involved AI or deepfakes, potentially underestimating the true extent of the problem. Scammers often obtain voice samples from social media clips and use them to impersonate family members in distress, convincing victims to send money. In one case, a Californian mother was tricked into sending $5,400 to Mexico after receiving a call from an unknown number that sounded like her daughter's panicked voice. Experts say the brain's processing of familiar voices lowers our guard, making us more susceptible to scams. It's recommended to create a \"safe word\" with loved ones to verify their identity, and to be wary of unsolicited calls claiming a family member is in danger, hanging up and contacting them directly if suspicious. Regardless of age, everyone is vulnerable to these scams, and reporting instances of fraud is crucial.",
  "summary": "A marketing professor who studies voice and persuasion says a familiar voice lowers our defenses. Here’s the simple fix she recommends.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}