● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
Florida Police Report AI Voice Cloning Used in Sheriff Impersonation Scam
Key points
- Scammers cloned Osceola County Sheriff Steve Moser's voice.
- A resident received a voicemail using the cloned voice and sheriff's picture.
- Similar police impersonation scams are reported in Georgia and Pennsylvania.
- AI voice cloning has been used in other scams, including a $108 million fraud.
AI Voice Clone Impersonates Florida Sheriff
The Osceola County Sheriff's Office in Florida has reported a scam where artificial intelligence was used to clone Sheriff Steve Moser's voice. Scammers left a voicemail for a resident, using the cloned voice and Moser's picture to impersonate him. Impersonating a police officer is classified as a third-degree felony in Florida.
Wider Trend of Police Impersonation Scams
This incident is part of a broader trend of police impersonation scams that are reportedly spreading across several states. Reports from Georgia and Pennsylvania in the past week describe similar jury duty and arrest warrant scams. While these other reports do not explicitly mention AI voice cloning, they note that scammers sometimes mimic the voices and tones of local police officers.
Growing Use of Voice Cloning in Fraud
Voice cloning scams have been active for several years, with commercially available AI tools used to target individuals and businesses. Previous incidents include real-time deepfake scams incorporating voice and video, celebrity voice cloning in YouTube ads, and the impersonation of company executives. In one notable case in February, scammers cloned a law firm's managing partner, leading to a private bank transferring $108 million.
Impact on Public Trust and Security
The use of AI to create convincing voice clones poses a significant challenge to public trust and security. These sophisticated scams make it harder for individuals to discern legitimate communications from fraudulent ones, increasing the risk of financial loss and identity theft. Law enforcement agencies face new hurdles in combating these technologically advanced criminal activities.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
A Florida police department reported that scammers used AI to clone a sheriff's voice in a voicemail scam targeting a resident. This incident highlights the increasing use of AI voice cloning in scams, which are spreading across multiple states and have previously resulted in significant financial losses.