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A familiar voice, face, caller name, or official-sounding message is not proof of identity. If a request asks you to send money, share a password or one-time code, or grant account access, pause and verify it through a separate channel you already trust. AI can make an impersonation convincing; it cannot make the request genuine.
Could that really be their voice?
Yes. AI-generated voice messages can sound nearly identical to a known contact, the FBI warned in a May 2025 alert about a campaign impersonating senior U.S. officials. The FBI has also warned that criminals can use artificial intelligence to create convincing audio and other deceptive content. A voice that sounds familiar should prompt an independent check, not replace one.
Impersonation may combine text and generated voice. In the campaign described by the FBI, messages used a trusted identity to build rapport before seeking access to personal accounts. The tactic is not limited to a single format: a call, video, text, or caller name can all be part of an attempt to make a request appear legitimate.
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Ask yourself what the sender wants you to do. Urgency, secrecy, a request to bypass normal procedures, or pressure to act while upset are reasons to stop. Do not transfer money, reveal credentials or one-time codes, or grant account access based only on an incoming call, video, or message.
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For a suspicious contact, end the interaction and initiate contact yourself using a saved number or another route you already know is genuine. Do not use a number, link, or contact details supplied in the suspicious message as your verification channel. The FBI’s May 2025 alert recommends contacting relevant security officials or the FBI if you are unsure whether a communication is authentic.
What are they trying to get you to do?
Impersonation attempts may seek money, account access, personal information, or credentials. A message can first establish rapport and then make a request that would be risky if it came from anyone else. Treat the action being requested—not how familiar the person sounds—as the key decision.
For personal requests
- Pause. Do not act while a caller or message is pressuring you. Never share a password or one-time code or send money solely because an incoming communication appears to come from someone you know.
- Verify separately. Call the person using a saved number, or contact them through another channel you already trust. Ask whether they made the request. A reply to the suspicious message or a callback to the number it supplied is not an independent check.
- Decide only after confirmation. If you cannot reach the person through a trusted route, wait. Do not treat urgency as a reason to skip verification.
For workplace payments or account changes
Use your organization’s established approval and callback process, even if a request appears to come from a senior colleague or familiar partner. Verify payment instructions and account changes through a known contact route, and follow normal authorization requirements rather than making an exception under pressure.
Can technology reliably tell you what is real?
No single detection method can provide a dependable verdict for every voice, video, or message. The Federal Trade Commission’s April 2024 discussion of voice-cloning countermeasures says, “There is no single solution.” It describes approaches that work at different points in the process and notes that feasibility and deployment can be challenging.
| Approach | When it acts | Who may implement it | What it can and cannot establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upstream prevention or authentication | Before generated or manipulated content reaches a recipient | AI developers, phone and telecom providers, or messaging and video platforms | Can help prevent or authenticate some content or communications, but does not verify every request or eliminate impersonation. |
| Real-time detection or monitoring | During a call, video, or message interaction | Handset, telecom, messaging, and video-conference providers | May flag suspicious signals, but a flag—or the absence of one—is not proof of identity. |
| Post-use evaluation | After content has been created or used | Platforms, investigators, or other evaluators | Can help assess content or a campaign after the fact; it does not provide a guaranteed answer in the moment a recipient must decide. |
| Independent verification | Before acting on a consequential request | The recipient, using a previously trusted contact route or an established workplace process | Checks whether the supposed sender actually made the request. It remains important even when a technical tool is available. |
The FTC discusses watermarking as one possible way to identify content origin; it does not establish watermarking as a complete defense. More generally, tools that analyze audio or video should be treated as one layer, not as a substitute for confirming identity through another channel.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What do reported impersonation losses tell us about AI?
They show that impersonation fraud is a significant consumer problem, but the FTC’s reported totals do not identify how much involved AI or voice cloning. Do not read these figures as AI-scam counts.
| FTC figure | What it measures | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| More than 330,000 business-impersonation reports and nearly 160,000 government-impersonation reports in 2023 | Reports received by the FTC, as described in its 2024 data spotlight | These are not confirmed incidents and do not specify which reports involved AI. |
| $1.1 billion in combined reported losses to business and government impersonation reports in 2023 | Reported losses across those impersonation categories, as described by the FTC in 2024 | The figure does not attribute losses to AI. |
| $2.95 billion in reported consumer losses to business and government impersonation scams in 2024 | The category-wide figure reported by the FTC in its April 2025 release | The release does not identify an AI-specific share. |
The FTC’s February 2024 press release quoted Chair Lina M. Khan: “With voice cloning and other AI-driven scams on the rise, protecting Americans from impersonator fraud is more critical than ever.” The agency finalized a Government and Business Impersonation Rule and separately proposed expanding protections to cover impersonation of individuals. Those were distinct actions: the proposed expansion was not itself a finalized rule.
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