Audio Traps
More and more often, robots are being used to call people — and not just by big players like banks, but also by small scam operations.
A robot calls you and says: *“Can you hear me well?” or “Finally got through to you.” It’s clearly designed with input from psychologists — they trigger a sense of guilt in kind people: *“It must be important, look how hard this person tried — they called multiple times.”
What do they want?
There are many options, but the main two are: to sell you services or to scam you. If it’s services — they’ll “switch your plan” or “offer a credit card.” Let me say it directly: don’t use anything that’s being pushed on you.
What about scams?
There are two main schemes — or sometimes a hybrid.
Scheme one: a bot warms you up, connects you to a “curator,” and they try to get a code from your government services or apply for a loan in your name.
Scheme two: they record your voice and try to scam your relatives using it.
The hybrid: you talk to scammers like in YouTube prank videos, have fun — and they end up using your recorded voice against you.
To generate a voice clone using AI:
1 minute — a rough copy
3–5 minutes — already recognizable
10–15 minutes — nearly identical
30+ minutes — a full clone, indistinguishable
Bottom line — don’t talk on the phone with strangers. In fact, don’t even pick up if you don’t have to. Nothing important will change. Legitimate institutions don’t use mobile calls for serious communication.
