AI scams in Georgia and South Florida: How scammers use deepfakes to steal millions

Artificial intelligence is no longer just helping people write emails or generate images. Investigators say it's also helping scammers steal money by making fake voices, photos and phone calls look and sound frighteningly real.

For one South Florida immigration attorney, that meant discovering criminals had cloned his voice and identity to target immigrants seeking legal help. In metro Atlanta, it meant a Cobb County couple losing roughly $800,000 in a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam.

Those cases illustrate what federal investigators say is a rapidly growing trend.

According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans reported nearly $893 million in AI-enabled scam losses last year as criminals increasingly turned to artificial intelligence to impersonate trusted people and manipulate victims. 

Overall, the FBI received more than 1 million internet crime complaints totaling more than $20 billion in reported losses. 

The data suggests the technology is making familiar scams, from romance schemes to fake investment opportunities and emergency phone calls, even harder to recognize.

State officials say those cases aren't isolated.

"I talk with citizens throughout Georgia at speaking engagements and hear of AI being used in scams such as the grandparent scam," Shawn McCroy, communications and outreach coordinator for the Georgia Department of Law, told CBS News. 

The AI grandparent scam is a type of fraud where scammers use artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of a victim's grandchild or other relative. Using audio samples found online or through social media, criminals generate convincing phone calls claiming the grandchild is in trouble and urgently needs money.

The numbers behind the trend

While AI-related complaints remain a fraction of all reported internet crimes, the financial impact continues to grow.

Florida:

• 350 AI-related complaints
• Nearly $39.9 million in reported AI-related losses 

Georgia:

• 71 AI-related complaints
• More than $10.4 million in reported AI-related losses 

The FBI notes that these figures likely undercount the true scope of the problem because many victims never report being scammed. 

How scammers are using AI

Authorities say generative AI is allowing criminals to make old scams far more believable by:

• Cloning voices from social media videos.
• Spoofing legitimate phone numbers.
• Creating convincing fake photographs.
• Researching family members and personal relationships to make emergency requests seem authentic. 

One of the fastest-growing examples is the so-called grandparent scam, where criminals use AI-generated voices to mimic a loved one in distress and pressure victims into sending money before verifying the emergency.

The FBI says AI also played a growing role in romance and confidence scams, which resulted in more than $19 million in reported losses nationwide last year. Victims also reported more than $5 million lost in AI-assisted distress scams, including voice-cloning schemes.

Banks say criminals are getting more convincing

Financial institutions are also warning customers that AI is making impersonation attempts increasingly difficult to detect.
In a statement to CBS News, Truist Bank said fraudsters are using artificial intelligence to create more believable scams built around urgency and impersonation.

The bank urged customers to pause before acting on unexpected requests, verify communications through trusted channels and closely monitor account activity rather than responding immediately to phone calls, emails or text messages requesting money or sensitive information. 

How to protect yourself

The Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division recommends families establish a private code word that can be used to verify a loved one's identity during an emergency, noting that AI-generated voices can sound authentic.

As AI tools become cheaper and more accessible, investigators say the technology behind these scams will likely continue evolving-making verification, rather than speed, one of the strongest defenses consumers have.

• Verify urgent requests by contacting the person directly through a known phone number.
• Never send money based solely on a phone call or voicemail.
• Contact your financial institution immediately if you believe you've been targeted.
• Report suspected scams to local law enforcement and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
• Review and freeze your credit if you suspect identity theft.

The Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division recommends families establish a private code word that can be used to verify a loved one's identity during an emergency, noting that AI-generated voices can sound authentic.

Officials also recommend:

• Verify urgent requests by contacting the person directly through a known phone number.
• Never send money based solely on a phone call or voicemail.
• Contact your financial institution immediately if you believe you've been targeted.
• Report suuspected scams to local law enforcement and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
• Review and freeze your credit if you suspect identity theft.

As AI tools become cheaper and more accessible, investigators say the technology behind these scams will likely continue evolving-making verification, rather than speed, one of the strongest defenses consumers have.