“I heard my daughter’s voice and I panicked“In Los Angeles, Laura M. received a call that she still remembers as “the most desperate moment of her life.” Her voice trembles as she reviews a night of apprehension: “I was crying. He said he had been in an accident and needed money urgently to avoid legal problems. Know-how your voiceI have no doubts. It wasn’t similar: it was the same,” he anguished.
The call lasted less than two minutes. A man took the phone and gave him specific instructions to make an immediate transfer. Pressure was key. “He told me not to hang up, not to call anyone else, that every minute counted. I didn’t hesitate: I transferred the money immediately. Everything I had.”
Minutes later, something made her react and she contacted her daughter on her phone. There he understood everything: nothing had ever happened. “It was a very hard blow. I felt like they violated something very intimate, as if they had broken into the house. Know-how his voice, exactly his voice,” he reviews.
The cases are repeated in the United States and in many Latin American countries. According to different alerts from the Federal Commerce Rate (FTC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation,sr they have been registering an increase in scams with voice cloning throughout the United States.
Artificial intelligence scams: a growing danger
The artificial intelligence scams They stopped being a theoretical threat and became an everyday problem in the United States. According to the FTC, fraud losses exceed billions of dollars a yearand a growing part is linked to AI tools that allow identity theft with a level of realism never seen before.
The result: faster, more credible and much harder to detect deceptions.
The most common AI scams in the United States
According to official data, the scams that have been growing in recent months are very different in their modality.
Voice cloning: “digital kidnapping”
One of the modalities that grew the most in 2024 and 2025. Scammers use AI to replicate a family member’s voice from short audio clips (for example, social media videos). They then call the victim simulating an emergency.
The script is easy: “mom, I had an accident”, “they arrested me”, “I need money urgently”. Emotional pressure does the rest.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that these cases increased sharply because the necessary technology is cheap and accessible.
Keys to deception:
- Extreme urgency.
- Immediate transfer request.
- Prohibition of checking with other family members.
- Deepfakes and fake videos of celebrities or CEOs.
You can see: New scam in Florida: authorities warn motorists
Fake investments, promoted by celebrities
Another expanding scam in the USA movies generated with AI (deepfakes) to promote false investments, especially in cryptocurrencies. Well-known figures (businessmen, politicians or celebrities) appear recommending platforms that are actually a fraud.
The problem is that the level of realism is already beyond the average eye. The Securities and Commerce Rate warned that these schemes are behind many recent investment scams.
Warning signs:
- Promises of quick and safe profits.
- Viral videos outside of trusted media.
- Links to unknown platforms.
- Phishing with AI (hyper-realistic emails and messages).
Phishing is not new, but AI has made it much more effective. Now the messages have no grammatical errors, imitate the tone of real banks or companies and are personalized with public data.
Scammers can even hold coherent conversations in real time. Companies like Microsoft and Google warned that automated attacks with AI are growing in volume and sophistication.
You can see: The 6 most common scams when investing in gold and silver
Work identity theft: remote employment fraud
Another strong trend in the US is fake job offers generated with AI. Deception usually follows this pattern:
- Contact via LinkedIn or email.
- Automated or chat interview.
- Quick offer without real process.
- Request for money (equipment, procedures) or bank details.
The Greater Commercial Bureau reported a significant increase in this type of fraud. The cases are multiplying. “I saw the video and it looked legitimate, I didn’t hesitate,” says Daniel R., from San Antonio, Texas. Professional, 42 years old, fell into a scam that combined artificial intelligence and social networks.
It all started with a video on Facebook where a supposedly well-known businessman recommended a cryptocurrency investment platform. “Know-how, a very well-made video. It didn’t seem fake. The person spoke clearly, showed numbers, results… all very convincing,” he says.
The link led to a website with professional design, real-time graphics and customer service via chat. “At first I made money. Or so it seemed. I could see my balance going up. That convinced me to invest more.”
The problem came when he tried to withdraw the money. “They asked me to pay ‘taxes’ and ‘commissions’ to release the funds. That’s when I became suspicious. When I stopped paying, they disappeared.” The result? He lost more than $8,000.
AI-powered romance scams
The classic “romance scams” now use AI to create more credible profiles: generated photos (people who do not exist) and personalized and constant messages join coherent stories over time. The emotional bond is built quickly and ends in requests for money. The combo seems easy to spot, but each one is more polished and efficient. Careful!
Why these scams work better than before
The key change is not the crime, but the tool. AI allows fraud to escalate (thousands of victims at the same time), automate conversations and reduce human errors, which until just months ago revealed the deception.
Besides, Public content on social networks makes the work of scammers easier.
How to avoid falling for scams with artificial intelligence
- Distrust urgency: If someone asks for immediate money, it is a red sign. Always check through another channel.
- Verify identity outside the message: If you receive a suspicious call or audio, hang up and call the real contact.
- Do not share sensitive data: Never send passwords, codes or banking information by message or call.
- Avoid unknown hyperlinks: Always manually enter official sites.
- Check viral video sources: If a video promises easy money, it is probably fake or manipulated.
- Protect personal information online: The more public information there is, the easier it is for a scammer to construct a credible hoax.
The coming problem (and why this is just beginning)
The authorities agree on one thing: this is not a peak, it is a trend. As AI improves, so do frauds. The Federal Commerce Rate warns that user education is today the best defense. Technology moves faster than regulation.
Artificial intelligence scams do not depend on the victim being naive, but on the deception being sufficiently realistic. And today it is. In the US, fraud has already been professionalized with AI. The user’s only advantage is to anticipate: distrust, verify and not act under pressure.
You can see:
They report a drastic increase in scams against immigrants
They discover more than 100 that create nudes with AI in the Play Store and App Store: the dark side of deepfakes
Google launched an app that converts your voice into text without net and it is exactly what you needed
