Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert today, warning Californians about the increasing prevalence of scams utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) or “deepfakes” to impersonate government officials, distressed family members, or other trusted figures.

“Scammers are often quite literally in our pockets, just a phone call, social media message, or text away,” said Attorney General Bonta. “AI and other novel and evolving technologies can make scams harder to spot. Knowing what to look for is an important way to keep consumers safe against these tactics. I urge Californians to take practical steps to guard against being victimized by scammers, including talking to friends and family who may be unaware of these dangers.”

The advent of AI and deepfake technology has made it easier for scammers to create sophisticated impersonations that appear credible. Scammers can use information available online, such as images and audio from social media, to convince individuals that the voice on the other end of the call is someone they trust. For instance, scammers can clone a person’s voice using AI technology with clips taken from social media accounts and refer to personal information found on the internet.

A particularly troubling scam targets parents by sending them AI voice impersonations of their child begging for help. Recent reports have included parents receiving calls using cloned voices claiming their child was badly injured in a car accident or needed money for bail. Grandparents are also targeted with scams claiming their grandchild is in trouble and needs money. In 2023 alone, grandparent scams reported to the FBI resulted in nearly $1.9 million in losses.

Phone-based scams continue to be prevalent; robocalls and robotexts accounted for over $1.2 billion in reported losses nationwide in 2023. These methods are designed to steal money, identities, or passwords or demand urgent payment through cash or gift cards.

Imposter scams were the most commonly reported fraud type in 2023. These often involve bad actors pretending to be bank fraud departments, government agencies, well-known businesses, technical support experts, or distressed relatives like kidnapped children. Other common phone-based scams include those related to medical needs and prescriptions, debt reduction services, utilities issues, bank fraud warnings, warranties claims, or IRS notices.

These scams also pose risks beyond financial loss; they can spread misinformation about elections or political candidates. For example, residents of New Hampshire received scam election robocalls allegedly using AI to impersonate the president and discourage voter participation during the New Hampshire primary.

Attorney General Bonta provided several tips for protecting oneself from phone-based scams:

- Develop family code words: Create simple ways of verifying if a family member truly needs help before responding.

- Minimize personal audio/video content on social media: Remove personal numbers and audio/video clips from profiles.

- Check privacy settings: Strengthen privacy settings on social media accounts.

- Don’t answer unfamiliar calls: Let them go directly to voicemail.

- Don’t trust caller ID: Numbers can be spoofed; verify any suspicious requests.

- Hang up if you suspect a scam: Do not engage with suspected scam calls.

- Use call-blocking technology: Utilize enhanced call-blocking features offered by cellular providers.

- Avoid clicking suspicious links: Be cautious with links sent via texts or emails.

- Go directly to websites: Navigate directly rather than clicking potentially fraudulent links.

- Use strong passwords: Ensure passwords are unique and complex; consider using a password manager.

- Protect sensitive information like Social Security numbers: Only provide when absolutely necessary.

Attorney General Bonta reaffirmed his commitment to combating robocalls through various legal actions aimed at curbing illegal activities involving AI-generated robocalls and robotexts.

In January 2024, Attorney General Bonta called on the FCC regarding AI-generated robocalls' threats; subsequently declared illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Additionally,in February 2024,Bonta joined a coalition issuing warning letters concerning scam election robocalls during New Hampshire's primary election.In May 2023,a lawsuit was announced against Avid Telecom over unlawful robocall facilitation,and further actions have been taken since January 2022 addressing foreign-based illegal robocalls into U.S., culminating August's nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force launch investigating telecommunications companies responsible majority foreign-originated robocalls into U.S..

For more information on protecting against phone-based scams visit oag.ca.gov/consumers.