AI-Generated Voice Scams Prompt Experts to Recommend Secret Code Words for Families

Kathmandu. With the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), criminals have started adopting new ways to commit fraud by perfectly mimicking human voices. Experts have suggested keeping 'secret code words' to avoid such 'deepfake' scams, which are carried out using technology to imitate the voice of loved ones.

A similar horrific incident was reported by the BBC about Elizabeth Benz of New York, USA. In September 2025, she received a call in which her 16-year-old son John was crying. He frantically said that his friend had died and he was also in danger. Immediately, an unknown person took the phone and threatened to kill the son if $7,500 was not paid. Distraught, Elizabeth set out in her car to pay the money. However, at the last moment, her other son contacted John and found him safe, watching a football match. The voice heard on that call was not John's but a fake voice created by AI.