Beware of calls from unknown numbers: this is how criminals use AI to extort and scam

It is very likely that by the time you read this note, you have already received at least a few calls from unknown numbers on your cell phone.

This has become a practically common occurrence for most users. And although in specific situations these may be legitimate objectives, they are also there is a good chance that it is an attempt at fraud or a scam .

In many cases, criminals They even try to contact you from other countries .

Just a few days ago, the Investigative police (PDI) warned about how THE cybercriminals They make international calls with harmful intentions and then extort their victims with material they generated with malware programs. artificial intelligence (AI).

It’s just one of the reasons why special precautions should be taken with unknown numbers and those who arouse suspicion. Even more so if they are calls coming from abroad and which have not been the subject of an agreement. previously.

Director of LEVEL 4 and cybersecurity specialist, Fernando Lagos, assures La Tercera that There are different methods by which they work .

One of the most common is that They first call your cell phone, then hang up and wait for you to call back. .

To further arouse your attention, There are cases where they can even score repeatedly . This You can also do this through WhatsApp calls .

If you speak in this process, “It may happen that they record your voice, to use it later, for example when they call a member of your family” .

In this way, They use the audio samples they obtained – during one or more calls – to clone your voice with a program of AI.

“They can call you three times and each time you respond in different tones, even saying, ‘Hey, don’t call me and hang up.’ With this, they have hardware that helps them train the AI ​​they occupy. Then you can have him say something else in the same tone of voice. “.

Furthermore, “It may also happen that they call you by video call and you, by mistake using the button or for another reason, answered” .

“Once this video contact has been established, They cut you off, but before they manage to capture your photo and your environment », Explains Lagos.

With the latter it refers to the fact that, For example, they could infer whether you are in an office, at home or walking on a public road. information that may be useful for their potential crimes.

“There are other cases in which They make a video call and stream a pornographic video. There they record your reaction and your face, then use it to extort money from you. as if you had watched it.

According to the LEVEL4 specialist, These are two of the main ways cybercriminals use to fraudulent calls in this context.

Thus, they can usurp your identity – through audio or image – both to commit acts of blackmail and to attempt to deceive. to third parties such as your acquaintances or members of your family.

Although there are situations in which voices created with AI can generate distrust by appearing “fake” or “robotic,” Lagos cautions that this is not necessarily always the case, since some may appear almost identical to humans .

To have protection in these situations, Cybersecurity expert says he personally tends to disable calls from unknown numbers .

“And when I know that they might call me because I’m waiting to be contacted, for example, for a delivery, I remove that option. Then I activate it again. » accurate.

In this sense, it is categorical to say that “The most important thing here is to be wary of these calls and always check the sources” .