Is that call really your mum? 5 checks for AI fakes
A familiar voice and a familiar face are no longer enough. Run five checks before you transfer, from hanging up and calling back to a family code word.
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The voice on the line sounds exactly like your mum. She says something urgent has come up and she needs money now. Do you transfer it straight away? Today the safe answer is not yet, because a familiar voice can now be faked.
The Royal Thai Police warned on 4 January 2026 that AI can mimic voices and create moving faces of people you know, or of police officers, and that scammers use them to call and ask for loans or threaten people into transferring money. Among the warnings announced by Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deepho, a deputy police spokesperson, was not to trust images or voices alone, according to Thairath.
The first technique is voice cloning, which copies the voice of someone you know until it is hard to tell apart. The other is the deepfake, a faked face in a video. The two often come together. The good news is that there are checks that still work.
Five checks before you transfer
- Hang up and call back: end the call, then ring the person on a number you already have, not one the caller gives you, the FBI advises.
- Ask what only your family knows: Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau advises asking something personal that an outsider could not know, and the FBI suggests agreeing on a family secret word in advance.
- Listen to rhythm and tone: a voice that is too flat, or odd timing or pitch, is a warning sign, Bangkok Biz News reported.
- Watch the mouth, face and eyes: on a video call, check whether the lips match the voice, whether face proportions, skin tone and blinking look natural, or whether the clip is looping.
- Real police don't video-call you: real police do not video-call victims or suspects, and scammers have looped real police clips from social media during video calls, Thai PBS reported.
Make your voice harder to fake
AI needs your voice and images as raw material, so the FBI advises keeping them out of public view where you can, setting social media accounts to private and accepting only followers you know.
If you think you are being scammed
Report it to the AOC 1441 hotline, 24 hours a day, or online at thaipoliceonline.go.th, as the Royal Thai Police advises.
Talk to your family tonight about three things
Ask the people at home:
- If you hear my voice asking for money, will everyone hang up and call back first?
- What is our family's secret word?
- Should the public clips of our voices and faces be set to private?
FAQ
Can AI really fake the voice of someone I know?
Yes. The Royal Thai Police has warned that AI can mimic voices and create moving faces of people victims know, which scammers use to ask for loans or threaten them into transferring money.
What is a family secret word?
It is a word or phrase your family agrees on in advance. If someone calls claiming to be family, ask for it, and be suspicious if they can't give it. The FBI recommends this.
Where do I report a suspected scam?
The AOC 1441 hotline, 24 hours a day, or online at thaipoliceonline.go.th.
