"I Said Hello, and the Call Was Cut Off"... Why You Should Watch Out for 'Silent Calls'

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[The Financial News] Concerns have been raised that people who casually answer calls from unknown numbers could have their voice data stolen.
On the 7th, Yonhap News Agency cited the French IT media outlet Génération Nouvelles Technologies as saying that a new tactic known as a "silent call" uses artificial intelligence (AI) to attempt voice cloning.
A "silent call" begins when the recipient reflexively says "hello" after answering, and the other side hangs up without saying a word.
In such cases, the recipient may assume it was a wrong number or a dialing mistake. However, experts have warned that it may be the first stage of a scam and urged caution.
The first purpose of a "silent call" is to confirm that the phone number is active. Once a number is verified as in use, it can be added to a list of potential targets and later used for phishing crimes or sold on the dark web.
There is also a risk that the voice itself could be cloned. Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender explained, "Cloning a voice, tone, and accent is much easier than people think." Even a simple word like "hello" can become a voice sample that may be used later.
Once a voice is cloned, scammers can use it in a variety of ways, making the fraud more dangerous. A common method is to imitate the victim's voice and contact family members or acquaintances, then invent a fake emergency and demand money urgently. It can also be used to bypass customer service systems or bank security systems that rely on voice authentication.
In particular, such scams may not happen immediately after the call, but weeks or even months later, making it difficult for victims to realize they have been targeted.
As advances in AI now make it possible to create a realistic voice clone from just a few seconds of audio, experts say greater vigilance is needed. If you receive a call from an unknown number and the other person says nothing, it is best to hang up immediately and avoid saying anything unnecessary.
It is also important to block or report suspicious numbers and not automatically call back missed calls. Since caller ID can be manipulated through spoofing to make a number look like it belongs to a public agency or company, extra caution is essential.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter