2025年以来，AI 诈骗在 WhatsApp 上愈演愈烈，仅在英国就给家庭造成了近 50 万英镑的损失。诈骗分子利用 AI 生成的语音消息模仿孩子的声音，结合“Hi Mum”骗局，冒充亲人请求紧急转账，欺骗性极强。他们通过社交媒体搜集语音片段和个人信息，再利用生成式 AI 克隆声音，编造可信的故事。专家建议，务必通过已存号码回拨确认，设置家庭“密码”，切勿轻易向新账户转账，并及时举报诈骗。

🚨**“Hi Mum”骗局升级：** 诈骗分子在 WhatsApp 上冒充亲人，以紧急情况为由请求转账，现在更利用 AI 生成的语音消息模仿孩子的声音，使欺骗性大大提高。

🗣️**AI语音克隆技术：** 诈骗分子通过抓取社交媒体上的语音片段和个人信息，使用生成式 AI 技术克隆声音，编造可信的故事，甚至专家表示自己也曾用AI模仿自己的声音欺骗了自己的母亲。

💰**损失惨重：** 自 2025 年 1 月以来，英国已发生 506 起 WhatsApp 诈骗案，受害者损失高达 490,606 英镑。仅 4 月份就发生了 135 起案件，损失 127,417 英镑。

🛡️**防范措施：** 务必通过已存号码回拨确认，设置家庭“密码”验证紧急情况，切勿轻易向新账户转账，并及时向 7726 举报诈骗。如不幸被骗，请立即联系银行。

A wave of AI-powered scams is sweeping across WhatsApp, costing UK families nearly half a million pounds in 2025 alone and it’s only May.

Cybercriminals are now combining old tricks with new tech. In the evolving “Hi Mum” scam, fraudsters impersonate a loved one over WhatsApp and ask for emergency cash.

The twist

They’re now using AI-generated voice messages to mimic children’s voices, making the deception frighteningly convincing.

“Scammers are increasingly getting better at manipulating people… cloning any voice is now simple, even in a matter of moments,”says Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET.

By the numbers:

• 506 WhatsApp scams since Jan 2025
• Victims lost £490,606 ($651,230)
• April alone: 135 cases, £127,417 lost

How it works:

1. You get a WhatsApp from an unknown number: “Hi Mum, I lost my phone.”
2. They claim they’re locked out of their bank.
3. They send a voice note and it sounds like your child.
4. They ask you to urgently transfer money to a new account.

A screen-grab excerpt of the WhatsApp ‘Hi mum’ text scam. Photograph: Santander

The danger

Scammers scrape social media for voice clips and personal details. Then they use generative AI to clone the voice and craft a believable story.

“I was able to fool my own mother with an AI version of my voice,” Moore admits.

Who’s at risk:

• Parents with active kids on social media
• Elderly users less familiar with AI tricks
• Anyone receiving messages from unfamiliar numbers

What you can do:

• Always call back using a saved number before sending money
• Set up family ‘code words’ to verify real emergencies
• Never send money to a new account without confirmation
• Report scams to 7726 (UK scam reporting line)
• If you fall victim, contact your bank immediately

Stay vigilant

AI scams are advancing fast. WhatsApp, though encrypted, can’t stop someone with your number from messaging you.

“These scams are evolving at breakneck speed,” says Chris Ainsley, head of fraud at Santander.

AI has supercharged a common scam. If your child “calls” from a strange number asking for money, think twice. Then call them on the number you know.

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