AI voice scams: how to recognise a cloned voice on the phone
AI voice scams are fraud in which criminals use artificial intelligence to imitate the voice of someone you know - sometimes from just a few seconds of audio off social media. They call or send a voice note in a panic ("I've had an accident, transfer money quickly"). You can spot it by a short, unnatural pause, a too-smooth voice with no breathing, and a conversation that keeps steering back to money. Hang up and always call back yourself on a number you already know, and agree on a code word in advance.
A call from your son, your mother or your boss - the voice is right, the panic sounds real, and it's urgent. Until recently, "I recognise the voice" was proof enough. Not any more. With artificial intelligence a voice can be cloned in seconds, and scammers use it to pressure you into transferring money under emotional stress.
What is an AI voice scam (voice cloning)?
In voice cloning, a scammer feeds a short audio clip of someone into an AI model, which then generates new sentences in that same voice. The audio comes from public sources: an Instagram story, a podcast, a voicemail or a LinkedIn clip.
Research shows that three seconds of audio can already be enough for a convincing clone. In the Netherlands, cloning a voice without consent is a criminal offence - it counts as identity fraud and a serious privacy breach - but that doesn't stop criminals.
How does a scam like this work?
The most common variant is the "relative in distress" scenario: you get a call or WhatsApp voice note from someone who sounds like a person you know. The story is always urgent - an accident, an arrest, an overdue bill - and the requested payment is hard to reverse: a Tikkie, a transfer, crypto or gift cards.
The combination of a trusted voice and time pressure is exactly what switches off your judgement. That's why it works: not because the victim is careless, but because the brain automatically trusts a familiar voice.
Three signs of a cloned voice
1. A short, unnatural pause. After your question there's often a noticeable hesitation before an answer comes - the system still has to generate the response. A real person reacts instantly.
2. A too-perfect, flat voice. The voice sounds strikingly clear and even, with no breathing, no small human sounds and no background noise. Real speech is full of imperfections.
3. A conversation that keeps returning to money. Ask an unexpected, personal question. A clone keeps steering the conversation back to its goal (a transfer, a code, your details) instead of responding naturally.
What to do if you're in doubt
Hang up and call back yourself on the number already in your contacts - never on a number the caller gives you. If the person then simply answers, you know the call was fake.
Ask a question only that person can answer - something from a shared memory, not a fact that can be found online. And most importantly: don't let yourself be rushed. Real family and real institutions give you time to verify; scammers don't.
Agree on a code word now
The simplest protection is an arrangement you make today: a code word that only your close family knows. Anyone who calls in an emergency asking for money has to say the word first. No word, no money.
Agree on it in person, not over the phone or an app, and pick something that can't be guessed from your social media.
How big is this problem in the Netherlands?
For now, voice cloning is still relatively rare in the Netherlands, but the growth is clear. The Fraudehelpdesk saw a roughly 250% rise in reports of phone fraud in 2025 - from around 5,000 to over 17,000 in half a year.
A Dutch government study (the "Laat je niet interneppen" campaign) found that more than half of Dutch people can't hear the difference between a real and a cloned voice of someone they know. Internationally it's further along: in the US, people lost hundreds of millions to AI-related scams over the past year.
How Calmido helps you
Calmido shows you in real time who's calling - based on public data, your contacts and community reports. If you get a call from an unknown or suspicious number, you see it straight away, before you even pick up.
Unsure about a number afterwards? Look it up in the Calmido Directory and see what other callers report about it.
Had a suspicious call? Look the number up in the Calmido Directory and see if others have already reported it as spam or a scam.
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