Hoax – There is a “silent call” scam. By answering a call and hearing only silence, the victim would allegedly have their voice recorded and cloned by artificial intelligence to deceive relatives and commit fraud.
Analysis
There has been a supposed alert circulating on social networks about the so-called “silent call” scam. According to the messages, by answering a call in which there is no response on the other end, criminals could be using artificial intelligence to capture the victim’s voice and clone it, with the aim of committing financial fraud or deceiving family members.
Some messages even claim that the Social Security administration itself issued official warnings about the risk. Check below excerpts of the content that is going viral on the internet:
Version 1: Attention SILENT CALL Scam Especially Pensioners And Retirees Social Security Is Warning Be Very Careful With These Criminal Thugs If Anything Call 190 Or Go To The Civil Police Station And File A Police REPORT Against These Criminal THUGS
Version 2: ! SILENT CALL SCAM If you answer and only hear silence, beware: it may be an attempt to VOICE CLONING WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE With just a few seconds of your speech criminals can mimic your voice to deceive relatives and ask for money on your behalf. HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF: Wait for the other person to speak first Avoid answering ‘yes’ right away If the call remains silent, hang up Block and report the suspicious number Never share personal data
Fact-check
The story has caused concern especially among older people, since versions circulate that mention retirees and pensioners as primary targets. However, it is false. To verify the alert, we raised three main points: 1) Does the silent call scam for voice cloning actually exist? 2) Did Social Security issue any warning about this type of scam? 3) What do silent phone calls actually mean and what should we do?
Does the silent call scam to clone voice exist?
No official records or news report a structured scam called “silent call” aimed at cloning victims’ voices.
Although voice cloning with artificial intelligence is technically possible, experts point out that the process requires more context than a few seconds of silence or a simple response like “yes.” Recorded scams to date still rely on social engineering, with criminals trying to trick victims through direct conversations, fake messages or requests for bank transfers.
Did Social Security issue any alert about this type of scam?
No. Although some versions claim that Social Security issued warnings about this type of fraud, there is no official communication on the matter. Mentions of such agencies in the messages are merely an attempt to lend credibility to an unverified claim.
What do silent calls actually mean and what should we do?
According to telecommunications specialists and reports such as the one from Gizmodo, silent calls are usually automatic blasts made by telemarketing or spam systems. The call is completed only when an operator is available, but many times the person who answers hears only silence. It is an annoying practice, but not directly linked to voice cloning.
The recommendation is simple: if you receive such calls, hang up immediately, block the number and avoid providing any personal data. This protects you both from nuisance calls and potential attempts at other types of fraud.
Conclusion
The so-called “silent call” scam to clone voices with artificial intelligence is an exaggerated alert that is not based on real cases. Although voice cloning is theoretically possible, there are no records of it being applied in this way. Silent calls are, in practice, automatic telemarketing or spam blasts. The recommendation remains to hang up, block suspicious numbers and never provide personal data.
Fake news ❌
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