We were recently made aware of a disturbing scam attempt involving a friend’s adult daughter. The scammer alleged the daughter had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom.
The scam began with a phone call to the mother. The caller made urgent demands for cash, and in the background the daughter could be heard speaking and crying. The mother, shocked and terrified, believed her daughter was in immediate danger. She withdrew cash from her bank and was en route to the instructed drop-off location when, fortunately, police intervened. No funds were lost.
Most importantly, the daughter was never involved and was never in danger. Her voice on the phone had been generated by artificial intelligence, produced so convincingly that the mother could not tell it was fake. Understandably, the emotional impact of this event was profound.
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services recently reported their top frauds and threats to watch out for. This incident falls under what regulators identify as the second most common current threat: “Deepfake Impersonations.” Regulators warn that more than 22 percent of scammers are now using AI-generated voices or videos to impersonate celebrities, trusted friends, or family members to pressure or frighten victims into complying with their demands.
It is worth emphasizing that these scams are specifically designed to deceive thoughtful, careful people. Falling victim is not a failure of intelligence or judgment; it reflects how sophisticated the technology has become.
What should you do?
First, recognize that technology is advancing rapidly, and bad actors are exploiting it in ways that were simply not possible in the past. With that in mind, here are a few practical steps everyone should consider:
- Be cautious with unsolicited contact.
If you do not recognize the source - or cannot immediately verify it - do not answer the phone, open email attachments, or click on links. - Never share sensitive information electronically.
Under no circumstances should you provide personal, financial, or security information over the phone, by email, or through social media. - Use strong security practices.
Use strong, unique passwords for each account, enable two-factor authentication wherever possible, and change passwords periodically. Avoid reusing the same password across multiple sites. - Take a breath, trust your instincts, and slow the moment down.
If something feels strange or “off,” it probably is. End the communication and independently verify the situation using trusted contacts or official sources. - Consider a simple family verification plan.
Families may wish to agree in advance on a basic verification step, such as a call-back rule or a shared code word, before responding to urgent or emotionally charged requests.
Fraud relies on urgency and fear to short-circuit judgment. Taking a pause, even a brief one, can interrupt that cycle and prevent irreversible harm.
We encourage clients and families to talk openly about these risks and put simple safeguards in place before they are ever needed.
As always, we’re here to help and talk things over. Please be in touch if you’d like to chat.