Voice cloning in 2026: the red flags people still miss

## The CEO fraud evolved It used to be a generic email: "I'm stuck in a meeting, buy gift cards." Now, it's a WhatsApp voice note from your boss: *"Hey, listen, my card is declining and I'm with a client. Can you wire this vendor immediately? I'll explain later."* The voice is perfect. The cadence is right. But the context is manufactured urgency. ### Why audio is the new frontier We are evolutionarily wired to trust voices. We trust what we hear from people we know. Audio bypasses the skepticism we've built up around photos and emails. ## Quick checks * **Call back**: Hang up and call the person back on their known number. Scammers often use spoofed IDs or different numbers "because my phone died". * **Ask a challenge question**: "Hey, what did we discuss at the end of the Tuesday standup?" An AI, or a scammer using a clone tool, won't know internal trivia. ## What to do next Protect your organization: 1. Establish a "safe word" or protocol for financial authorizations. 2. Be skeptical of urgency. Real emergencies allow for verification.