Scams are getting more sophisticated and Celina Police Chief Tom Wale says one of the biggest threats right now is criminals using artificial intelligence to clone a person’s voice.

During Spectrum with host Kevin Sandler, Chief Wale explained that AI voice scams are a high tech twist on an old scheme where callers pretend to be a family member in trouble. The difference now is scammers can grab short audio clips from public sources such as a council meeting, a Facebook Live, a voicemail greeting, or even a radio interview and use that audio to replicate a voice.

The goal is to create panic and urgency. Chief Wale says scammers often claim a loved one has been arrested, has been in an accident, or is in the hospital and needs money immediately. He says the best first step is to hang up if anything feels off, then verify the situation by calling the family member directly using a known number or contacting another relative who can confirm where they are.

One of the best tips discussed in the interview was creating a “family password” that is not tied to social media history and would not be easy to guess. Chief Wale said a simple verification question or an intentional trick question can also expose a scam quickly.

The chief also warned about imposter scams that claim to be your bank or law enforcement, along with phishing emails and texts designed to push people into clicking links and handing over personal information. He said caller ID cannot be trusted because numbers can be spoofed.

Chief Wale also cautioned listeners to slow down and not let fear take over. He says a legitimate bank, business, or law enforcement agency will not demand payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or secretive, untraceable methods.

Another scam highlighted during Spectrum was the long running “sweetheart scam,” where criminals build an online relationship over weeks or months before asking for money. Chief Wale shared an example of a local case in which a victim suffered a six figure loss after being targeted by someone using a fake profile claiming to be an attractive soldier.

The message from police is simple: don’t rush, don’t click, don’t share personal identifiers, and always verify independently before sending money.