AI scams: voice cloning, deepfakes & family fraud.
AI voice cloning and deepfake scams are a real, fast-growing threat — not just reported on by major news outlets, but actively warned against by the FTC, FCC, and elder-safety organizations across the US. We've collected the coverage and official guidance here in one place.
AI voice scams are on the rise. Here's how to protect yourself.
Covers AI-enabled voice cloning scams targeting seniors and the growing recommendation to set up a family "safe word" — verifying a caller's identity with a predetermined phrase before sending any money.
CNN · May 2026AI 'voice cloning' scams are on the rise. Here's how to protect yourself.
A look at how easily accessible voice-cloning tools have made this style of fraud, and the practical steps CNN's reporting recommends families take.
NBC News · Mar 2025AI can steal your voice, and there's not much you can do about it.
Reporting on a Consumer Reports investigation finding that most major AI voice cloning services have easily bypassed safeguards against nonconsensual impersonation.
ForbesAI Scams Are Rising In 2026 — Here's How To Protect Yourself.
An overview of the rise in AI-generated scams in 2026 and Forbes' recommended protection strategies for individuals and families.
ABC News · Good Morning AmericaMom warns of AI voice cloning scam that faked kidnapping.
A firsthand account of a parent targeted by a scam call using a cloned voice to simulate a family emergency.
CBS News · Jul 2023Scammers use AI to mimic voices of loved ones in distress.
One of the earlier mainstream reports on the technique, covering how AI-cloned voices of friends and family are used in phone fraud.
AI voice cloning scams target families with fake kidnapping calls.
Investigative reporting (syndicated to local CBS/NBC affiliates nationwide) on fake-kidnapping extortion calls using cloned voices of family members.
Yahoo News · Feb 2026The AI "Grandkid" Voice Clone Scam That's Stealing Seniors' Life Savings.
Documents cases where seniors lost thousands after convincing calls from what sounded like a distressed grandchild, made possible with just seconds of scraped audio.
Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes.
The FTC's own consumer alert on this exact scam — cloning a family member's voice to fake an emergency — with its core advice: don't trust the voice alone, hang up and call the person back on a number you already know.
Federal Trade Commission · Apr 2024Fighting back against harmful voice cloning.
Results of the FTC's Voice Cloning Challenge, a call for real technical defenses against AI-enabled impersonation — an official signal of how seriously the agency treats this as an emerging fraud category, not just a one-off scam trend.
Federal Communications Commission'Grandparent' Scams Get More Sophisticated.
The FCC's own consumer guidance on how AI has upgraded the classic "grandparent scam" — cloned voices replacing the old, easier-to-doubt fake-sounding caller — and what to check before ever sending money.
California Dept. of Financial Protection & InnovationProtect Yourself from AI Scams.
A state financial regulator's practical guide to AI-enabled fraud, including voice cloning — official confirmation that this isn't just a federal-level concern, but something state consumer-protection agencies are actively warning residents about too.
Understanding Deepfakes: What Older Adults Need to Know.
NCOA's guide explaining what deepfakes are, six common scam types targeting older adults, and practical ways to spot and avoid them.
National Council on AgingWhat Are AI Scams? Common Types, Warning Signs, and How to Avoid Them.
A broader companion guide covering the most common categories of AI-enabled scams older adults are likely to encounter.
These are independent articles published by outside newsrooms and organizations — OurSecretPhrase isn't affiliated with any of them, and inclusion here isn't an endorsement of our app. We're collecting the coverage in one place because understanding how these scams actually work is the first line of defense, whatever tool (if any) you end up using against them.
A family safe phrase is one of the simplest defenses experts recommend — we built a free app that automates it.