NatWest AI scam warning as terrifying 'voice cloning' fraud rises
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Brits have been urged to stay vigilant following a dramatic surge in money scams at the end of 2024. New research from NatWest found that a whopping 42 per cent of British adults were targeted by fraudsters from November 2023-2024, while 86 per cent believe that more should be done to stop scams at their source.
Using industry data and a national survey of 2,000 respondents, the banking group says £570 million was reported stolen by scammers in the first half of last year, with young adults aged 18-24 the most likely target. Scammers posing as friends and family requesting money, often through email or social media, became one of the fastest growing schemes - along with event ticket scams, fake grants to help with the costing-of-living crisis, and social media marketplace adverts for products that didn't exist.
AI voice-cloning scams were the third fastest growing scam of 2024, and 86 per cent of Brits said they were concerned that 'rapid developments' in artificial intelligence will help criminals find new ways to con people. In fact, more than half (59 per cent) of adults also saying they think identifying AI-based scams is becoming increasingly difficult, while two thirds admit they are concerned that a vulnerable family member will fall victim to fraud.
"AI voice cloning scams are a relatively new form of fraud where scammers use advanced tech to imitate someone's voice, which can be pretty convincing," said Stuart Skinner, NatWest's Fraud Expert. "If you get a call that sounds like it's from a friend or family member asking for money or personal info, take a pause.".
