NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / March 19, 2026 / As artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated and accessible, financial institutions are seeing a sharp rise in a new form of fraud: AI-powered imposter scams. These schemes use advanced tools to convincingly mimic a person's voice, image, or behavior-making them harder to spot and more emotionally manipulative than traditional scams.
KeyBank and other financial organizations are urging consumers to stay alert as criminals adopt these emerging technologies.
A New Twist on an Old Scam
Imposter scams have long been one of the most common forms of financial fraud, but AI has dramatically raised the stakes. Using publicly available voice clips, photos, or videos-often pulled from social media-fraudsters can now replicate a person's speech patterns or even generate realistic videos known as "deepfakes."
These tools allow criminals to pose as:
Family members in urgent distress
Friends requesting help
Bank representatives seeking account information
KeyBank will never call, email, or text asking for personal credentials such as your full Social Security number, online banking username, or password. Any unexpected request for sensitive details should be considered suspicious. If someone calls you asking for this information, hang up and call your bank through a known channel.
How AI-Driven Scams Work
Voice Cloning
Scammers use AI to analyze audio samples and recreate someone's voice with startling accuracy. Once they have a convincing imitation, they may call victims claiming:
A family emergency that requires immediate financial help
An urgent need to "verify" account information
Cloned voices may sound real but often struggle with natural emotion, timing, or detailed personal questions.
Deepfake Videos
Deepfake technology allows scammers to generate hyper-realistic videos of people saying or doing things they never actually said or did. These videos may exhibit subtle flaws, such as:
Unnatural blinking
Odd shadows or lighting
Mismatched lip movements
Distorted backgrounds
Such content is often designed to create urgency or emotional pressure to extract money or information.
Warning Signs to Watch For
With voice calls, be cautious if:
The speech sounds slightly robotic or inconsistent
The caller cannot answer questions only the real person would know
There is pressure to act immediately
With videos, be alert for:
Stiff or unnatural facial movements
Odd lighting or blurry background details
Poorly synced audio and video
Watermarks indicating the content may have been flagged or altered on social platforms
How to Protect Yourself
Experts recommend several steps to reduce your risk:
Verify the request: If someone claims to need money or sensitive information, contact them back using a known, trusted phone number or communication channel.
Be wary of urgency: Scammers rely on panic. Slow down and double-check.
Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
Limit personal information you share online, especially videos and audio clips.
Monitor your accounts daily and report unauthorized activity immediately.
Stay educated: Share fraud-prevention tips with family members, particularly older adults who may be targeted more frequently.
If You Suspect You've Been Targeted
Take swift action:
Contact any financial institution involved. KeyBank clients can reach the Fraud Client Service Center at 1-800-433-0124 (or 711 for TTY/TRS).
File a report with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov.
Change passwords and security questions on affected accounts.
Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit reports and monitoring your credit closely.
Get more tips from KeyBank that can help protect you from fraud
Content provided for informational and educational purposes only and is in no way to be construed as financial, investment, or legal advice. We cannot and do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal financial issues. ©2026 KeyCorp. All rights reserved. KeyBank Member FDIC CFMA #260311-4195728
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Contact Info:
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SOURCE: KeyBank
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/banking-and-financial-services/protecting-yourself-from-artificial-intelligence-ai-powered-imposter-1149250
