Voice cloning scams
If you’ve experienced a voice cloning scam, read our advice and learn how to get support. You can also report it to us online, by phone, or in person
What voice cloning scams are
Voice cloning scams are when someone uses digital tools like AI to make a copy of your voice. They can then use this fake voice to pretend to be you.
They could use your copied voice and use it for criminal activities, such as scamming someone you know by pretending that you need money in an emergency. Or they may copy the voice of a famous person to spread harmful misinformation, or to scam people.
How to report a voice cloning scam
If you want to tell us about a voice cloning scam, you can report it online, by phone, or in person.
What to do if voice cloning scams happens
If someone tries to scam you using a cloned voice, you should:
- block the number
- use Ofcom’s guidance to forward the call to 7726
- follow the National Cyber Security Centre advice if you’ve shared personal information
Get support from other organisations
You can get support from other organisations:
- Stop! Think Fraud is the UK government’s fraud advice service
- Take Five for tools and advice on how to avoid scams and fraud and what to do if it happens
- Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland for advice and tools to protect yourself from fraud
- Cyber and Fraud Hub for advice and self-help tools like scam checkers
- National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has tools and advice to help you stay safe online
- Cyber Scotland to report cybercrime and get advice on how to protect yourself or an organisation from cybercrime
- Get Safe Online for advice on how to protect yourself online
Ways to prevent voice cloning scams
To help prevent voice cloning scams and other phone scams, you can:
- avoid answering calls from unknown numbers
- ask your phone provider to block incoming calls or reject anonymous numbers
- call the person the message is supposedly from on their usual number to check it’s actually them asking
- think about having code words to use with loved ones if there’s a real emergency
- avoid sharing videos and audio clips publicly to protect your voice from being cloned
- keep your social media accounts private and be wary of sharing any videos or audio clips with your voice