ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A chilling scam is sweeping the nation, preying on the love we have for our closest family members. Scammers are finding new ways to exploit our trust and emotions. Using technology at their fingertips, they’re using artificial intelligence to mimic the voices of our loved ones.
His granddaughter’s artwork tattooed on his arm tells you everything you need to know.
“I'm Poppi, that's, that's all I am. That is my entire life. My family," said Mike Capstick, a scamming victim from Bel-Nor, Missouri in North County.
When Capstick got a call that threatened his family, he felt like his world collapsed.
“And it was my daughter. And she was crying. And she said, ‘Dad, I've been in an accident,'" he said.
A man on the phone said his three grandkids were in the car too. He said he’d harm them.
"I was totally stunned... I was trembling," he said.
Then came a red flag.
“He goes, 'How much money do you have in your checking account?'” Capstick said.
Eventually, he discovered it was all a farce: a scammer using artificial intelligence to copy his daughter’s voice. His goal: to scare him into handing over money. The I-Team spoke with one of the largest cybersecurity firms in the nation for answers.
“The scammers are getting smarter and better with their tools," said cybersecurity expert Pete Nicoletti, field chief information security officer at Check Point Software Technologies, a multinational provider of products for IT security.
Nicoletti tells the I-Team these crimes are exploding in popularity with people using AI.
“This technology is the fastest implemented technology in the history of the human race, faster than radio, faster than TV, faster than email," Nicoletti said.
And with that, comes exploitation as scammers prey on the emotional vulnerability of their targets.
“Anybody can use the tool for a couple of bucks," he said.
His advice to protect yourself: Avoid posting personal photos and videos publicly on social media. Be skeptical of urgent requests. And have a code word with the people you trust.
When asked what he might do differently if he ever gets a similar call, “I'm gonna ask for the code. You're gonna have to give me a code," Capstick said.
St. Louis city police tell the I-Team they’ll consider specifically tracking crimes relating to artificial intelligence. Right now, it’s not something the department tracks.
The FBI tells us that it issued a public service announcement on November 17, 2023 warning about this type of scam. It is the latest iteration of the “grandparent scam” that perpetrators have been using for years. The latest twist involves scammers using AI. The FBI also said people can avoid becoming victimized by having a safe word only family members will know. Spokesperson Rebecca Wu tells us: “When a scammer calls the parent, grandparent, or any other family member, the scammer (who is pretending to be the child, grandchild, nephew, niece, etc.) will not know the safe word when asked. Also, keep in mind, the more we publicize our personal lives on social media accounts that have not been made private, the more information we are providing scammers to exploit.”
From January through September 2023, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 195 victim complaints regarding grandparent scams, resulting in at least $1.9 million in victim losses.
The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services recommends that if you think you're being scammed or receiving a call of this nature, you should contact the threatened family member directly. Additionally, you should report the call to police and also file a claim with the Missouri Attorney General's Office.
If you want to get in touch with Paula, leave a voice message on 314-444-5231 or email her directly at pvasan@ksdk.com.