Fraud experts are warning about a growing scam, fueled by artificial intelligence, that attempts to steal money and personal information by impersonating family members or legitimate financial institutions.
Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union warned its members that these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“We’ve seen a surge in really the more sophisticated impersonation scams where our members are getting calls from what appears to be RBFCU based on the caller ID,” said Brian Munsterteiger, the credit union’s Senior Vice President of Central Operations.
Scammers can manipulate caller ID information to make it appear as though the call is coming from a legitimate phone number, even when it is not.
Victims are often told there is suspicious activity on their account or that their money is at risk, according to fraud experts.
Once trust is established, Munsterteiger said scammers attempt to create a sense of urgency.
“They’re typically validating some type of transaction, which is not a real transaction,” Munsterteiger said. “They’re gaining the member’s trust by, of course, making it seem like it’s coming from the RBFCU phone number and by saying they’re an RBFCU employee.”
In some cases, Musterteiger said victims are persuaded to provide usernames, passwords or one-time security passcodes. In other cases, scammers convince victims to transfer money or withdraw cash and hand it over to a courier under the guise of protecting their funds.
Fraud experts said artificial intelligence is making these scams even more convincing.
“The spoofing that they’re doing, the impersonation that they’re doing, they’re able to use real people’s voices,” Munsterteiger said. “It sounds real. I’ve heard some of these phone calls. They’re very good.”
The warning comes as voice-cloning scams continue to gain attention nationwide.
AI tools can now generate copies of a person’s voice using only a small amount of audio, making it easier for criminals to impersonate just about anyone.
Americans lost approximately $893 million to AI-related scams in 2025, according to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Report.
The agency received more than 22,000 complaints involving artificial intelligence, including voice-cloning schemes, AI-generated phishing attacks and other frauds.
The FBI mentioned some of those scams involve “distress” calls, where criminals use voice-cloning technology to mimic a loved one in an emergency and request money immediately. Victims reported more than $5 million in losses from those scams in 2025.
Munsterteiger said that no one is immune to these scams.
“(A) misconception is this only happens to unintelligent people. That’s not true,” Munsterteiger said. “I know a lot of smart people that this has happened to.”
Warning signs of a phone impersonation scam
RBFCU and federal investigators recommend watching for several red flags:
- A caller claims your account has been compromised and demands immediate action
- You are asked to provide passwords, usernames, one-time passcodes or multifactor authentication codes
- A caller instructs you to transfer money, withdraw cash or move funds to a “safe” account
- The caller pressures you to act quickly without verifying the information
- The call appears to come from a trusted organization, but the caller asks for sensitive information
How to protect yourself
To protect yourself, RBFCU recommends members to:
- Stop, think and verify before responding to unexpected requests
- Never share passwords, security codes or one-time passcodes with anyone, including bank employees
- Do not trust caller ID alone. Hang up and call the institution back using a verified phone number
- Slow down and question urgent requests involving money or personal information
“If someone’s calling you and asking you for any kind of personal information, it’s almost 100% a scam,” Munsterteiger said. “Hang up and call whatever they’re posing to be and call the actual institution or the actual company.”
How to report a scam
If you receive a suspicious call, voicemail, text or email requesting money, account credentials or personal information, end the conversation and verify it independently. There are several ways to report a scam:
- Contact the financial institution directly. Use a phone number, website or email address you know is legitimate. If you’re unsure, check your statements or the back of your cards for contact information. Do not rely on caller ID or contact information in an unexpected call or message.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov . This helps investigators track trends and warn the public.
- Report it to the FBI at IC3.gov if you shared information, sent money or believe you were targeted.
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