Starling Bank has warned that AI voice cloning scams are on the rise, with 28 per cent of UK adults believing they have been targeted by the scam over the past year.

The scam involves fraudsters using AI to copy the voice of a friend or family member and using it to call or send a voice message asking for money urgently.

Starling said that the technology can replicate a person’s voice from as little as three seconds of audio, which can easily be captured from a video someone has uploaded online or to social media.

According to its research, Starling found that almost half of UK adults did not know this scam exists and just 30 per cent know what to look out for if they were targeted.

In the survey, eight per cent of respondents said they would send whatever was needed in the situation, even if they thought the call seemed strange, potentially risking their money.

To raise awareness of the scam, Starling has launched the Safe Phrases campaign, which encourages people to agree on a specific phrase with their close friends and family that no one else knows. This can allow them to verify who they are speaking to when receiving unusual requests for money.

“People regularly post content online which has recordings of their voice, without ever imagining it’s making them more vulnerable to fraudsters,” said Lisa Grahame, Chief Information Security Officer at Starling Bank. “So it’s more important than ever for people to be aware of these types of scams being perpetuated by fraudsters, and how to protect themselves and their loved ones from falling victim.

“Simply having a Safe Phrase in place with trusted friends and family - which you never share digitally - is a quick and easy way to ensure you can verify who is on the other end of the phone.”

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