Scammers use AI to clone Osceola sheriff’s captain’s voice in fake warrant calls

Scammers in Osceola County are using artificial intelligence to clone the voice of a real law enforcement officer to trick people into believing they have missed jury duty or have an arrest warrant, WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando reported.

The scam involves a voicemail identifying the caller as Captain Steve Moser of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, using both his cloned voice and his photo from the agency’s website to make the call appear authentic, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Chris Blackmon warned that these calls are becoming more common and emphasized that the sheriff’s office will never demand money over the phone to resolve warrants or jury duty issues. Residents are advised to hang up if such demands are made and to verify calls by contacting law enforcement directly using official numbers.

Cybersecurity expert Perry Carpenter demonstrated how easily scammers can create convincing voice clones with as little as 20 seconds of audio from online videos, making the scam particularly deceptive.

The sheriff’s office has issued warnings on social media to alert residents about the scam and urged people not to trust phone numbers provided by callers or in messages but to independently verify contact information through official sources.