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Just a regular reminder to tell your friends and family to be extra skeptical about phone conversations. It’s becoming much more likely that the friend who des

Just a regular reminder to tell your friends and family to be extra skeptical about phone conversations. It’s becoming much more likely that the friend who desperately needs a gift card to Walmart isn’t the friend at all. :(

mattigames 1y ago
My bet is that the government at some point will have to put some pressure on Walmart and others to stop selling those gift cards completely, doing impersonations is getting too easy and too cheap for there not to be a flood of those scam calls in the near future.
chii 1y ago
the easiest way to defeat phone fraud is to ahead of time decide on a verbal password between family (and close friends, if they're close enough that you'd lend them money). In a real scenario, they'd know the verbal password and you can authenticate them. Drum it into them that this password will prevent other people from impersonating you in this brave new world of ai voices and even video.
- jimjimwii 1y ago
  That is more or less what i did with my parents, but this approach is still susceptible to active mitm attacks. 2 factor authentication through a secure app or a trusted family member is probably also needed though i haven't tackled this part with them yet.
  - chii 1y ago
    > 2 factor authentication through a secure app the problem is that the sort of emergency scenario in which family member would need the help is not often done or possible via a secured app. It's often just a telephone, with a number that you cannot recognize - imagine getting that phone call from a police station in the middle of nowhere when arrested, then you dont have access to any of your personal belongings as they're confiscated. The phone is a landline from the police station! Therefore, a verbal password is needed, as this scenario is exactly how a scammer would present as the emergency that they need help (usually, wire some dollars to this account to bail out).
- IshKebab 1y ago
  "Oh sorry son did we have a password? I totally forgot." This is a HN fantasy solution.
  - Ylpertnodi 1y ago
    Works for me and the family. No code-word, no transfer of funds.
    - IshKebab 1y ago
      Have your parents been targeted by convincing fraudsters? It doesn't work for you; you hope it will work.
      - chii 1y ago
        It is better than not having it as a backup method. It might even trip the scammer up as they may not expect it. Not to mention that it is your responsibility as the technically minded to hammer it into your family members.
probably_wrong 1y ago
My family members speak Spanish with an Argentinean accent. From what I've seen in the space it looks like I'm safe.
- jeroenhd 1y ago
  Public research and well-intentioned AI companies is all focusing on (white) American English, but that doesn't mean the technology isn't being refined elsewhere. The scamming industry is massive and already goes to depths like slavery to get the job done. I wouldn't assume you're safe just because the tech in your phone can't speak your language.
KaiserPro 1y ago
In the UK I have been getting AI-fancyTTS calls quite often. I even got one today. interupting them with "can you make me a poem about x" works reliably. However the latency is a dead give away.

mattigames 1y ago

My bet is that the government at some point will have to put some pressure on Walmart and others to stop selling those gift cards completely, doing impersonations is getting too easy and too cheap for there not to be a flood of those scam calls in the near future.

chii 1y ago

the easiest way to defeat phone fraud is to ahead of time decide on a verbal password between family (and close friends, if they're close enough that you'd lend them money). In a real scenario, they'd know the verbal password and you can authenticate them. Drum it into them that this password will prevent other people from impersonating you in this brave new world of ai voices and even video.

jimjimwii 1y ago
That is more or less what i did with my parents, but this approach is still susceptible to active mitm attacks. 2 factor authentication through a secure app or a trusted family member is probably also needed though i haven't tackled this part with them yet.
- chii 1y ago
  > 2 factor authentication through a secure app the problem is that the sort of emergency scenario in which family member would need the help is not often done or possible via a secured app. It's often just a telephone, with a number that you cannot recognize - imagine getting that phone call from a police station in the middle of nowhere when arrested, then you dont have access to any of your personal belongings as they're confiscated. The phone is a landline from the police station! Therefore, a verbal password is needed, as this scenario is exactly how a scammer would present as the emergency that they need help (usually, wire some dollars to this account to bail out).
IshKebab 1y ago
"Oh sorry son did we have a password? I totally forgot." This is a HN fantasy solution.
- Ylpertnodi 1y ago
  Works for me and the family. No code-word, no transfer of funds.
  - IshKebab 1y ago
    Have your parents been targeted by convincing fraudsters? It doesn't work for you; you hope it will work.
    - chii 1y ago
      It is better than not having it as a backup method. It might even trip the scammer up as they may not expect it. Not to mention that it is your responsibility as the technically minded to hammer it into your family members.

probably_wrong 1y ago

My family members speak Spanish with an Argentinean accent. From what I've seen in the space it looks like I'm safe.

jeroenhd 1y ago
Public research and well-intentioned AI companies is all focusing on (white) American English, but that doesn't mean the technology isn't being refined elsewhere. The scamming industry is massive and already goes to depths like slavery to get the job done. I wouldn't assume you're safe just because the tech in your phone can't speak your language.

KaiserPro 1y ago

In the UK I have been getting AI-fancyTTS calls quite often. I even got one today. interupting them with "can you make me a poem about x" works reliably. However the latency is a dead give away.