Voice cloning, deep fakes and AI are among the new cutting-edge technologies being used by scammers explored in the second season of Anatomy of a Scam.
The latest season – launching during ACCC’s Scams Awareness Week – brings listeners the real-life stories of victims and insights from world-class cyber experts to peel back the layers of a scam, reveal their inner workings and help protect Australians from falling into these increasingly sophisticated traps.
Hosted by acclaimed journalist Deb Knight and tech expert Trevor Long, and produced by 9Podcasts in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank, Anatomy of a Scam season two focuses on “impersonation scams”, which account for approximately 80 per cent of all scams reported to Scamwatch¹ and which have only proliferated thanks to the new wave of AI-enabled technology.
Anatomy of a Scam host Deb Knight said: “The ACCC estimates Australians lost a record $3.1 billion to scams in 2022², and the risk becomes greater the more intelligent the technology becomes. This is a very real threat to the Aussies, particularly in a cost of living crisis where every dollar counts.
“In the latest season of Anatomy of a Scam we’ve sought to go beyond the traditional text, call and email scams that most Australians can now spot a mile away, and go straight to the world’s best tech experts to ask the question: how can you spot the signs if you can no longer trust what you see?”
Tech expert Trevor Long said: “Gone are the good ol’ days when phishing scams were filled with blatant spelling mistakes and obvious clues. Now with the power of AI, cybercriminals can craft note perfect voice clones, eerily accurate deep fakes and dodgy emails written in perfect English, highlighting the scary reality that the art of deception is alive, and no longer human.
“Our aim is to equip Australians with all the information they need to spot these sophisticated new scams and protect themselves, their friends, family, and even workplaces from falling victim,” said Long.
James Roberts, General Manager of Group Fraud Management Service at CommBank, said: “There are many people and organisations using AI for good, with an aim to make things better in the world. But there are also criminals using AI to build sophisticated scams to trick others. That’s why it’s so important these days to remain alert and have a healthy level of scepticism when interacting online.”
Experts and insiders interviewed on season two of Anatomy of a Scam include Heidi Snell - Executive General Manager at ACCC; James Roberts - General Manager for Group Fraud Management Service at CommBank; Ken Gamble - Cybercrime Specialist and private investigator; Kirsty Dunn - Director of Communications at Tinder; and Professor Ofir Turel - Information Systems Management and Computing at The University of Melbourne.
Anatomy of a Scam season 2 launches on Tuesday 28 November with episodes dropping weekly. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
¹ACCC, Targeting scams: report of the ACCC on scams activity 2022, published April 2023
²ACCC, Targeting scams: report of the ACCC on scams activity 2022, published April 2023
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