Voice cloning and deep fakes

By now we have heard about the phone calls and spoofing scams where the caller says something to the effect of, “your grandson has been kidnapped while traveling and we need you to send money for his release,” or “he is in the hospital and needs money to be treated.” They spoof the phone number on the caller ID and often use data found on social media or other records to make it sound convincing. Some have fallen for this and sent money, and then find out shortly afterward their loved one is perfectly safe. A few years ago my wife's 100-year old grandma received a call that her husband was in the hospital and needed money to get out, even though he had died years prior. She has dementia and doesn't have access to her finances, but it was distressing and difficult to convince her the call wasn't true. My father-in-law once received a call from his “grandson” but quickly figured out it was a scam because the person on the phone talked more than his grandson ever would.

These scams are getting more complex. Now with artificial intelligence, scammers can mirror voices with free voice cloning apps and software. They can pull voice recordings on voicemails or social media videos. The sofware will make it very difficult to determine a real call from a scam call.

If you have answered a call and think you’re being scammed, ask the caller a difficult question that only the real person would know. If you’re not sure, hang up and call the person back on the number you have for them, not on the number they called in on. Don't answer calls you don’t recognize, and let them go to voicemail. Also keep your phone number private, and don’t share it on any social media sites. Reconsider posting videos with music rather than voices.

Some media outlets have reported that voice cloning can take place with as short as a three second clip-they can clone your voice with only three seconds of audio. This continues to be a huge problem for artists in the music industry.

New puppy

Our neighborhood is sporting new puppies, from black labs, golden retrievers and the ever popular doodles. Puppies are cute, cuddly and fun until it’s time for bed or you have to clean up after them.

I don’t know what we were thinking when we added another Aussidoodle into our family mix. It seemed like our 3-year-old dog could benefit from a playmate, and with a kid still at home it felt like the timing was now or never. The two dogs are up early and play every morning, though the older one is running short of fur on his ears and tail from the constant biting by the puppy. We’ve been slowly introducing our puppy to others in the neighborhood and appreciate those who have respected our wishes. As your out walking your dog or dogs, keep in mind the different stages of dog ownership people are at and the goals they have in dog ownership. The new puppy has been another learning experience. We assumed he would have a similar personality to the other dog, who loves running outside and expressing his herding tendencies. The new one seems content to sit on the steps and watch the older one run. The puppy has been quick to learn a few tricks, though we wish those included sleeping a little later than 5 a.m., and asking to go outside every time he has to pee. We have a way to go in getting him settled into the family, but if you're thinking of getting a puppy its a friendly reminder its more work than you remember. As always, when getting a dog consider a rescue or even better try taking on foster care of dogs and cats.

Carter Johnson is publisher of Press Publications.