FBI Warns of AI Kidnapping Scam in St. Louis Using Fake Voices to Extort Money
• FBI warns of AI kidnapping scam targeting victims in St. Louis where suspects use AI-generated voices to demand ransom • Advises families to have a secret "safe word" that scammers won't be able to guess to foil the scam • Describes recent incident where medical professor wired $3,000 after hearing false AI replication of her daughter's screams • FBI urges public to "Always doubt... check it out" when faced with emotionally manipulative calls • From 2018-2022, over 3 million online crime complaints filed with $27.5 billion in losses, showing growing threat