0.000000 2.840000 Tech It From me is an independent and solo-produced podcast. 2.840000 6.120000 Welcome to the Tech It From me podcast, I'm Mike Madole. 6.120000 8.320000 Today, we're talking about scams. 8.320000 12.120000 Not the typo-filled spam emails you laughed at 10 years ago, 12.120000 16.240000 but something far more convincing and far more dangerous. 16.240000 21.160000 In 2025, artificial intelligence has given scammers new weapons. 21.160000 23.700000 We're seeing deep fakes on video calls, 23.700000 27.480000 cloned voices on the phone, and polished fishing messages 27.480000 30.280000 that look like they came straight from your boss. 30.280000 35.120000 So what does this mean for you, your family, and for your business? 35.120000 37.600000 This is the Tech It From me podcast. 37.600000 39.000000 Let's go. 39.000000 41.440000 This is the Tech It From me podcast. 41.440000 46.320000 So it wasn't too long ago where the worst scam emails 46.320000 50.080000 came from a so-called Nigerian prince. 50.080000 51.720000 They were laughably bad. 51.720000 54.480000 They had poor spelling, broken grammar, 54.480000 59.520000 and promises of riches that no sane person would actually believe. 59.520000 62.080000 But here's the thing, that's floppy-ness. 62.080000 63.480000 It was intentional. 63.480000 67.200000 Scammers only wanted the most gullible targets. 67.200000 71.080000 Now, fast-forward to today and the game has changed. 71.080000 76.360000 Generative AI can produce perfectly polished text in seconds. 76.360000 79.160000 No grammar mistakes, no awkward phrasing, 79.160000 82.720000 just clean professional language that sounds like it came 82.720000 84.400000 from a real colleague. 84.400000 86.800000 And it doesn't stop at text. 86.800000 89.400000 With voice cloning and deep-fake video, 89.400000 93.320000 scammers can now impersonate people you actually know. 93.320000 94.840000 A call from your manager. 94.840000 97.160000 A video message from your child. 97.160000 99.680000 These scams don't look fake anymore. 99.680000 102.600000 They look terrifyingly real. 102.600000 104.920000 So why is this happening now? 104.920000 109.680000 Why are AI scams suddenly everywhere in 2025? 109.680000 112.400000 A few things have converged at once. 112.400000 115.320000 First, the technology itself has matured, 115.320000 118.000000 and it's become dirt cheap. 118.000000 121.920000 Running advanced AI models used to take specialized hardware 121.920000 124.200000 and massive cloud bills. 124.200000 127.560000 But now, criminals can download open source systems 127.560000 130.800000 that run on consumer-grade GPUs. 130.800000 133.960000 What once cost thousands of dollars a month 133.960000 136.200000 can now be done in someone's basement 136.200000 139.800000 for the price of a gaming PC. 139.800000 143.760000 This democratization of AI isn't just empowering startups 143.760000 145.440000 and small businesses. 145.440000 148.640000 It's empowering scammers, too. 148.640000 154.000000 Second, we've entered the era of what I'd call scams a service. 154.000000 159.120000 Now, on underground forums, you can buy ready-made AI toolkits, 159.120000 162.640000 the same way you'd buy software off the shelf. 162.640000 167.520000 Voice cloning modules, email generators, deep-fake packages, 167.520000 170.040000 even customer support-style chat bots 170.040000 173.480000 that can keep a conversation going for hours. 173.480000 177.360000 A few years ago, this required skill and effort. 177.360000 180.240000 Today, it's franchised crime. 180.240000 184.520000 If you can click a download link, you can run a scam. 184.520000 187.240000 Third, there's a data problem. 187.240000 190.560000 Think of all the major breaches over the past decade. 190.560000 195.720000 LinkedIn, Equifax, countless banks, healthcare providers. 195.720000 198.600000 That data, it never goes away. 198.600000 199.720000 It circulates. 199.720000 203.800000 It's resold, and it builds an underground profile of you 203.800000 208.200000 that's sometimes more detailed than what you know about yourself. 208.200000 210.120000 AI makes use of that. 210.120000 213.360000 It pulls in your work history, your contacts, 213.360000 218.440000 even your kid's names, and uses it to craft scams so personalized 218.440000 221.600000 you'd swear the message was meant only for you. 221.600000 224.360000 And lastly, there's the cultural shift. 224.360000 227.120000 We've normalized synthetic media. 227.120000 229.440000 Deep fakes are no longer exotic. 229.440000 231.080000 They're entertainment. 231.080000 236.120000 We've seen them in ads, in music videos, even political campaigns. 236.120000 240.400000 So when a voice sounds convincing or a video call looks real, 240.400000 242.040000 we don't immediately question it. 242.040000 243.760000 We accept it. 243.760000 246.960000 And that plays right into the scammer's hands. 246.960000 251.480000 All of these forces, cheap AI, scam kits for sale, 251.480000 256.200000 endless stolen data, and our own comfort with synthetic content 256.200000 259.880000 have come together in late 2025. 259.880000 263.200000 That's why this feels less like an evolution 263.200000 265.360000 and more like an explosion. 265.360000 266.840000 Now you might be thinking to yourself, 266.840000 268.880000 Mike cut out the doom and gloom. 268.880000 270.520000 It's not all that bad. 270.520000 272.600000 I'm telling you, this isn't theoretical. 272.600000 275.120000 It's already happening today. 275.120000 280.600000 In fact, last year, a report by both Fortune and CFO.com 280.600000 284.920000 was a finance worker at a multinational firm in Hong Kong. 284.920000 290.440000 They were tricked into transferring more than $25 million US dollars 290.440000 294.280000 after joining what appeared to be a legitimate video call 294.280000 298.840000 with what they thought was their CFO and work colleagues. 298.840000 304.960000 In reality, everyone on that call was an AI-generated deep fake. 304.960000 306.720000 Take the US elections. 306.720000 310.600000 Voters in New Hampshire got robocalls that sounded exactly 310.600000 314.360000 like President Biden telling them not to vote. 314.360000 318.120000 It was AI-generated and it was completely fake. 318.120000 322.680000 Back home here in Canada, those Canadian revenue agency 322.680000 327.200000 tax scam calls, we all know they've taken on a new edge. 327.200000 329.120000 The voices, they sound professional, 329.120000 332.880000 and they can actually answer questions in real time. 332.880000 337.120000 One of the most alarming new tactics involved scammers using AI 337.120000 342.120000 to clone a child's voice in fake kidnapping scenarios. 342.120000 348.640000 As was reported by ABC7NY.com and FoxNews.com, 348.640000 352.440000 in one case in Westchester County, New York, parents 352.440000 356.480000 received calls claiming their child had been abducted, 356.480000 359.040000 only to discover that the child's voice on the line 359.040000 363.320000 had been synthesized using samples from social media. 363.320000 366.400000 Investigators are warning that while the scam may sound 366.400000 369.520000 impossible in hindsight, the emotional panic 369.520000 372.360000 at triggers is very real. 372.360000 376.760000 In Arizona, a mother named Jennifer DeStefano, 376.760000 380.240000 she testified before Congress that she believed her daughter 380.240000 384.600000 had been kidnapped after hearing her voice pleading for help, 384.600000 388.720000 only to learn later that it was AI-generated. 388.720000 392.680000 What makes AI scams different is the human impact. 392.680000 394.360000 They're not just stealing your money. 394.360000 397.240000 They're hijacking your trust. 397.240000 399.920000 When a voice sounds exactly like your boss, 399.920000 403.200000 you don't think twice about following instructions. 403.200000 406.120000 When a video shows a loved one in distress, 406.120000 409.120000 your instincts override your skepticism. 409.120000 412.120000 That's what scammers are exploiting. 412.120000 414.600000 It's easy to talk about technology, 414.600000 418.880000 but at the end of the day, this is about human psychology. 418.880000 423.520000 Fear, urgency, authority, and AI is giving criminals 423.520000 428.080000 a perfect way to push every single one of those buttons. 428.080000 430.440000 All right, Mike, enough fear of mongering. 430.440000 434.120000 So the big question, what can we actually do about this? 434.120000 438.040000 If the scammers have AI, how do we fight back? 438.040000 440.800000 For individuals, the first line of defense 440.800000 443.240000 is slowing down. 443.240000 446.560000 These scams are designed to make you panic, 446.560000 449.360000 to push you into acting before you think. 449.360000 452.200000 If a voice is demanding money right now 452.200000 457.200000 or a video makes your heart stop, that urgency is the weapon. 457.200000 460.760000 The simplest move is also the most powerful. 460.760000 465.000000 Pause, step back, verify. 465.000000 467.880000 Call the person back on a number you know. 467.880000 469.960000 Reach out through a different channel. 469.960000 472.640000 Nine times out of 10, that quick check 472.640000 475.400000 is going to expose the scam. 475.400000 477.720000 There's also the technical side. 477.720000 480.760000 Multi-factor authentication may sound boring, 480.760000 484.080000 but it's one of the most effective tools we have today. 484.080000 487.360000 Even if your login is stolen through a fishing attempt 487.360000 490.480000 without that second code or push notification, 490.480000 492.800000 the attacker is locked out. 492.800000 494.800000 Think of it like adding a deadbolt 494.800000 497.720000 on top of your front door lock. 497.720000 501.280000 For families, the strategy it has to go deeper. 501.280000 504.080000 We're now at the point where parents should sit down 504.080000 507.800000 with their kids and agree on a safe word. 507.800000 509.720000 A phrase you'd use in an emergency 509.720000 513.800000 that an AI voice clone couldn't possibly guess. 513.800000 516.240000 If you ever get a terrifying call claiming your child 516.240000 519.160000 has been kidnapped, ask them for the safe word. 519.160000 523.360000 That could be the difference between panic and clarity. 523.360000 526.880000 Now, businesses face even bigger risks, 526.880000 530.440000 because criminals know exactly where the money is. 530.440000 533.600000 Employee training is a big piece of the puzzle. 533.600000 535.520000 Not just a yearly security course, 535.520000 539.880000 everyone clicks through, but ongoing practice. 539.880000 543.560000 Simulated fishing tests, tabletop exercises 543.560000 547.320000 where finance teams roleplay a deep-fake CEO 547.320000 550.240000 demanding an urgent wire transfer. 550.240000 552.720000 When people have seen it before in a safe setting, 552.720000 556.360000 they're less likely to fall for it in real life. 556.360000 560.640000 And on top of training, companies need processes. 560.640000 564.480000 If one person can approve a $10 million transfer, 564.480000 567.240000 that's truly a recipe for disaster. 567.240000 571.480000 You have to have segregation of duties, dual sign-offs, 571.480000 574.560000 and documented verification steps. 574.560000 577.440000 And yes, that sometimes slows things down, 577.440000 581.080000 but believe me, it's a lot cheaper than losing millions 581.080000 583.240000 to a scam. 583.240000 586.360000 We're also starting to see technology step up. 586.360000 590.280000 There are vendors now building AI-powered, deep-fake detection 590.280000 595.400000 tools that analyze the subtle patterns in audio or video, 595.400000 600.280000 things like unnatural blinking or tiny digital artifacts. 600.280000 603.280000 It's still early, and detection is not perfect, 603.280000 605.280000 but it is coming. 605.280000 609.160000 Think of it as AI fighting AI. 609.160000 613.800000 The bottom line is this, fighting back isn't about one silver bullet. 613.800000 618.120000 It's about layering defenses, awareness, verification, 618.120000 622.600000 technical safeguards, cultural shifts inside businesses. 622.600000 624.880000 And most importantly, acknowledging 624.880000 629.920000 that right now, in 2025, nobody is immune. 629.920000 634.240000 The scammers are betting on speed, fear, and trust. 634.240000 638.920000 If you can disrupt even one of those, you've got the upper hand. 638.920000 642.240000 So as I claim, if this is the year that AI scams 642.240000 644.800000 went mainstream, you may be asking, 644.800000 647.280000 what's the outlook for the next few years? 647.280000 650.560000 The irony is that the same AI technology 650.560000 652.920000 that's being weaponized by criminals 652.920000 656.440000 is also becoming the best defense against them. 656.440000 659.280000 Researchers are developing fraud detection systems 659.280000 663.680000 that analyze voices and videos for signs of manipulation. 663.680000 668.440000 These tools look at micro expressions, lip sync, accuracy, 668.440000 671.440000 even the way sound reverbs on a call. 671.440000 673.640000 In other words, AI can sometimes see 673.640000 677.040000 the seams that our human brains miss. 677.040000 680.400000 It's still early days, but we're moving towards a future 680.400000 683.120000 where your phone or your email client 683.120000 686.840000 will quietly run a deep fake check in the background 686.840000 688.560000 and flag something as suspicious 688.560000 691.720000 before you even realize what's happening. 691.720000 693.680000 There's also watermarking. 693.680000 698.520000 The idea is pretty simple, tag AI-generated content at the source, 698.520000 701.120000 so it carries a hidden signature. 701.120000 703.360000 That way, detection software can say, 703.360000 707.400000 yes, this video or this voice was made by a model. 707.400000 711.400000 I wrote more about this in a detailed article 711.400000 716.400000 on TechItForMe.com called Watermarking AI. 716.400000 720.200000 The approach has promise on watermarking, 720.200000 723.400000 but it'll only work if everyone plays long. 723.400000 727.560000 And bad actors, they obviously will not, so still, 727.560000 732.120000 if watermarking becomes standard on mainstream AI platforms, 732.120000 734.960000 it at least helps to narrow the pool of contents 734.960000 737.400000 that we can trust. 737.400000 741.240000 Regulation, that's kind of a wild card. 741.240000 742.960000 Governments are aware of the problem, 742.960000 745.600000 but they're struggling to keep up. 745.600000 749.640000 Canada has already spent years debating digital tax rules, 749.640000 753.240000 which hasn't even cut the edge of AI policy yet. 753.240000 755.760000 It's a reminder of how slow legislation 755.760000 758.840000 moves compared to the technology. 758.840000 762.600000 In the meantime, some US state and European regulators 762.600000 767.840000 are pushing for mandatory disclosure of AI-generated content. 767.840000 770.360000 Whether that actually works in practice, though, 770.360000 772.200000 that's another story. 772.200000 776.760000 For instance, my blog post articles on TechItForMe.com. 776.760000 779.320000 Most of the images I generate with Dolly, 779.320000 783.160000 and I explicitly state that at the bottom of all the articles. 783.160000 785.480000 You as a reader, does that matter to you? 785.480000 786.600000 Do you care? 786.600000 787.720000 Can you already tell? 787.720000 791.200000 I'm sure you can, but leave a comment down below. 791.200000 794.080000 I'd love to hear your take on that. 794.080000 796.680000 And finally, we should acknowledge where this is heading 796.680000 798.000000 culturally. 798.000000 801.200000 As a society, we're going to have to recalibrate 801.200000 803.840000 what trust looks like. 803.840000 806.480000 If a voice call can no longer be trusted, 806.480000 809.640000 and even a live video chat can't be trusted, 809.640000 812.920000 then how do we verify identity? 812.920000 816.480000 We might see the rise of digital authenticity tools 816.480000 820.000000 built into everyday apps, little trust badges 820.000000 823.360000 or verification layers that confirm someone really 823.360000 825.720000 is who they say they are. 825.720000 829.520000 Think of it like a blue checkmark for human interaction, 829.520000 833.760000 not just for Twitter or ex-profiles. 833.760000 835.800000 The bigger picture is this. 835.800000 838.680000 AI scams aren't just an IT problem. 838.680000 842.120000 They're going to force changes in business processes, 842.120000 846.320000 family conversations, and even how we define authenticity 846.320000 848.120000 in society. 848.120000 850.720000 Right now, it feels like we're on the defensive. 850.720000 853.880000 But with AI fighting back, smarter regulation, 853.880000 857.600000 and a cultural shift toward healthy skepticism, 857.600000 860.240000 the balance it could swing. 860.240000 863.920000 The question is whether we get there fast enough. 863.920000 868.000000 AI-generated scams aren't just a new chapter in cybercrime. 868.000000 870.480000 They're rewriting the entire playbook. 870.480000 873.400000 The same technology that helps us work faster, 873.400000 876.280000 create content, and innovate in business 876.280000 879.480000 is also being turned against us. 879.480000 884.240000 And in 2025, it's happening at a scale we've never seen before. 884.240000 888.680000 The good news, awareness is rising, defenses are catching up, 888.680000 891.880000 and trust itself is being redefined. 891.880000 895.480000 We're not powerless, but it does mean slowing down, 895.480000 898.880000 verifying things before you act, and remembering 898.880000 903.800000 that skepticism isn't paranoia, it's really protection. 903.800000 906.160000 Thank you for listening to Tech It From Me. 906.160000 907.800000 If you found this episode helpful, 907.800000 910.440000 please share it with a colleague, a friend, or a family 910.440000 913.840000 member who could use a reminder to stay alert. 913.840000 918.440000 And don't forget to subscribe on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, 918.440000 921.560000 or wherever you get your podcast from. 921.560000 925.600000 Until next time, I'm Mike with the Tech It From Me podcast. 925.600000 928.940000 Tech It From Me is an independent and solo-produced podcast. 928.940000 930.298688 [BLANK_AUDIO]