Scammers clone a real Florida sheriff's captain's voice in fake arrest-warrant calls

What happened

According to ClickOrlando, scammers in Osceola County, Florida, are using artificial intelligence to copy the voices of real law enforcement officers. The calls claim that the person has missed jury duty or has a warrant out for their arrest. The aim, the report says, is to frighten people into handing over personal information or, potentially, thousands of dollars.

One voicemail named a real captain at the Osceola County Sheriff's Office and asked the listener to contact the sheriff's office. The captain is a real officer and his photo appears on the agency's website. Sheriff Chris Blackmon said the scammers cloned the captain's voice and also used his picture, and that the captain did not make the call.

The sheriff said fake warrant and missed jury duty calls are becoming more common, and the office has posted a warning on social media. The report says the office estimates about 40 cases this year involving scammers impersonating law enforcement.

A cybersecurity expert told the station that cloning a voice is easier than many people think. He said a clone can be made from around 20 seconds of audio, and that some systems need under five seconds. Such audio can be taken from videos posted online.

Warning signs

• A caller or voicemail says you face arrest, or have missed jury duty, unless you act immediately.
• You are asked to pay money, or to give personal information, to settle the matter.
• The caller gives you a number to ring back, or sends one by voicemail or text.
• The voice sounds like a real officer, or the caller uses an official photo, or the call seems to come from a genuine number. According to the report, scammers can fake all three.

What families can do

• Hang up. The sheriff said his office will never call demanding money to resolve a warrant or missed jury duty.
• Contact the agency yourself, using a number you have checked independently, such as one on its official website. Do not rely on a number given by the caller, in a voicemail or in a text.
• Do not share personal details or send money until you have verified who is calling through a trusted source.
• Talk it over with a family member, especially if an older relative has received a call like this. A familiar-sounding voice is not proof of identity.
• If you have paid or shared information, contact your bank and report it to the police.

For calls like these, QuietGuard on Android can keep calls from anyone you have not named as trusted quiet and list them in Activity, so you can look at them later rather than answer under pressure. It cannot judge whether a voice is genuine, and it does not stop text messages, so checking through a number you look up yourself remains the key step.