Virginia National Bank

March 29, 2023

Cloning Scams: The Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence

Posted in Business Banking, Community News, Consumer Banking

Virginia National Bank (VNB) cares about the welfare of our clients, which is why we say, “It’s all about people...and always will be.” While technology continues to progress in remarkable ways, we must remember to stay vigilant. Criminals often use advanced technology for scams. The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about fraudsters using artificial intelligence (AI) to clone voices of friends, family, and loved ones. Cloning voices is easily accomplished using videos from social media and it does not require much more than a tiny snippet. Criminals are also able to spoof phone numbers. If you receive a call from a friend or loved one telling you to send them money, think twice before sending. When in doubt, it is advisable to hang up and call them back directly.

The more you know, the safer you’ll be:

While digital payment applications are an effective and quick way to send funds, you should only use digital payment applications to send funds to people you know and can verify their identity.
VNB will never ask you to send payments anywhere.
If you are asked to purchase gift cards or wire money, STOP. Ask yourself, “why do they need gift cards” or “is this person really who they say they are.”
If a deal is too good to be true, it may be fraud. Do your due diligence before purchasing or sending a digital payment. Always know who you are buying from or selling to.
VNB will never ask you for your Personal Identification Number (PIN) or security codes.

If you are concerned with potential fraud, please reach out to our Client Care Center at 877.817.8621 or contact us here.

We want to ensure the utmost of security for our clients by reminding them that criminals use advanced technology including AI. Be safe. Be vigilant.