Scammers are using artificial intelligence to impersonate real law enforcement officers, cloning their voices to convince people they have missed jury duty or have a warrant out for their arrest.
The goal? Scare victims into handing over personal information or potentially thousands of dollars.
In Osceola County, one voicemail making the rounds identifies the caller as “Captain Steve Moser” and asks the recipient to contact the sheriff’s office.
But here’s what makes the call especially convincing: Moser is a real captain with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and his photo appears on the agency’s website.
“They cloned his voice and was using Steve’s picture as well to say it was him making the phone call, and it was not,” Sheriff Chris Blackmon said.
Blackmon said calls involving fake warrants and missed jury duty claims are becoming increasingly common. The sheriff’s office has also issued a warning on social media alerting residents to the scheme.
And experts say cloning someone’s voice is easier than many people realize.
Cybersecurity expert Perry Carpenter showed News 6 how quickly scammers can create a convincing voice clone using audio pulled from videos posted online.
“Any person with a little bit of curiosity can clone a voice with a good 20 seconds of audio,” Carpenter said. “Some of the systems that are out there can do it in under five seconds of audio.”
Blackmon said the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office will never call demanding money to resolve a warrant or missed jury duty.
If someone calls claiming you’ll be arrested unless you immediately pay, hang up.
Instead, contact the law enforcement agency directly using a phone number you independently verify, such as one listed on its official website. Never rely on a phone number provided by the caller, in a voicemail or in a text message.
And remember, just because a caller sounds like a real officer, uses an official photo or appears to be calling from a legitimate number doesn’t mean the call is real.
Scammers can fake all three.
Before sharing personal information or sending money, verify the caller’s identity through an independent, trusted source.
