According to the data from the Money Laundering Prevention Competence Center, 3,718 fraud cases were registered in the second quarter of this year alone – 14% more than in the first quarter. During this period, fraudsters tried to extort more than 13.1 million euros from residents and companies, with actual losses reaching nearly 5 million euros. Although deceptive SMS messages and emails still make up the largest share, phone fraud remains one of the most dangerous forms of fraud.
According to Telia cybersecurity expert Darius Povilaičio, phone fraud schemes are becoming more complex as criminals have started actively using artificial intelligence technologies. Whereas before a suspicious call could be revealed by an accent, tone of voice, or unusual speech, now AI-based voice forgery technologies can replicate a human voice from just a few seconds of audio recording.
“Fraudsters only need publicly available videos on social networks, YouTube, or other platforms; they can also get voice samples from previously recorded phone conversations – so even if you recognize a fraudster, you should not continue the conversation with them. AI tools can create a convincing human voice copy from just a few dozen seconds of voice recording – the system replicates the person’s manner of speaking, intonation, pronunciation, and even emotional tone, so during the call, the victim may feel like they are talking to their child, spouse, or another close relative,” shares D. Povilaičio.
According to him, recognizing an AI-generated voice is not easy, but such calls are usually characterized by urgency and emotional appeal. For example, the supposed relative says they are in trouble, urgently asks to transfer money or perform another immediate action. It is also worth paying attention to unusual speech, unnatural pauses, or avoidance of answering unexpected personal questions.
A word that only the family should know
The specialist recommends residents take a simple but effective protective measure – agree on a password with close relatives or ask a question about something only you know between yourselves, which would quickly verify whether the caller is really who they claim to be.
“It can be a completely random word, unrelated to your daily life, and it should never be posted on social networks. If you receive an unexpected call asking to urgently transfer money, share login details, or perform another unusual action, ask them to say the agreed password. A real family member will know it, but a fraudster or AI-generated forgery most likely will not,” advises D. Povilaičio.
According to him, this measure is especially relevant for older people, who often become targets of emotionally driven fraud scenarios. Criminals often pretend to be children, grandchildren, or other close relatives and create an atmosphere of urgency and fear so that the victim cannot rationally assess the situation.
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Fraudsters hide behind fake numbers
To reach potential victims, fraudsters constantly look for new ways to hide their identity. In the first half of this year alone, Telia Lithuania blocked more than 9.35 million fraud and suspicious calls. Of these, more than 7.19 million were calls with forged Lithuanian numbers.
In response to the growing threat, the telecommunications company has started applying additional network-level protection – a filter that automatically checks whether a number coming from abroad is valid and complies with numbering rules. During the first months of testing the new filter, about 850,000 calls from invalid or non-compliant numbers were identified.
“Fraudsters constantly change tactics; now they have started calling from foreign numbers. Technological tools allow stopping a large portion of suspicious calls, but the most important line of defense is the person themselves. That is why we urge residents to discuss actions with family members in advance and agree on additional identity verification methods,” says D. Povilaičio.
What to do when receiving a suspicious call?
The cybersecurity specialist recommends never making hasty decisions during a call, even if the caller claims to be a relative, bank employee, or government official. At the slightest suspicion, it is worth ending the call and contacting the person using another phone number you know.
You should also not disclose login details, payment card information, or confirm financial transactions based solely on information received by phone. The expert emphasizes that under no circumstances should cash be handed over to strangers who come to your home, even if they claim to be representatives of a bank, police, or other institutions.
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