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France Warns of ‘Silent Call’ Scam Using AI Voice Clones to Impersonate Victims

A single “hello” can give scammers the sample they need to clone your voice.

Overview

  • French media and cybersecurity firms issued fresh alerts this week about silent phone calls that harvest short voice samples for AI cloning.
  • In these calls, the line stays quiet until the target speaks, which provides audio that tools can use to mimic the person’s tone and pitch.
  • Criminals use the clone to call relatives, fake an emergency like an accident, and pressure them to share banking details or send money.
  • The first spoken word also confirms the number is active, which scammers add to lists resold on the dark web for further fraud.
  • Experts advise hanging up if no one speaks, avoiding “yes” or confirming personal details, blocking and reporting the number via 33700, and setting a family secret word to verify real emergency calls.