Your Family Member Is Calling for Help. But Is It Really Them?

Mercury Insurance Warns AI Voice Cloning Is Making Impersonation Scams Harder to Spot

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A frantic phone call from a child, spouse or parent asking for money can trigger an immediate instinct to help. But with artificial intelligence making it easier for criminals to imitate a person's voice, consumers may need to stop and verify who is really on the other end of the line.

With October being CyberSecurity Awareness Month, Mercury Insurance (NYSE/NYSE TX: MCY) is encouraging consumers to recognize the growing threat of AI-powered impersonation scams and take simple steps to protect themselves and their families. According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, more than 22,000 complaints involving artificial intelligence resulted in nearly $893 million in reported losses. The FBI has identified voice cloning and other forms of AI-generated content among the tools criminals are using to make scams more convincing.

"Scammers have always relied on urgency and emotion, but AI can make those tactics much more believable," said Dustin Howard, Head of Information Security at Mercury Insurance. "Hearing what sounds like the voice of someone you love can cause you to react before you have time to question what you're hearing. That feeling is exactly what the scammer is counting on."

When a Familiar Voice May Not Be Familiar

Voice-cloning technology can create realistic speech using samples of a person's voice. Audio publicly available through social media videos, podcasts and other online content may provide material that can be used to imitate someone.

A criminal may then call a family member while posing as a child, grandchild, spouse or other loved one and claim there has been an accident, arrest or other emergency. The caller may demand money immediately and insist that the victim not contact anyone else.

Consumers should treat those demands as warning signs, even when the voice sounds convincing.

"Your ears alone may no longer be enough to verify someone's identity," Howard said. "Families should have another way to confirm that the person calling is really who they claim to be."

Create a Family Verification Plan

Mercury recommends families discuss impersonation scams before one happens and establish a simple verification process.

Create a family safe word or phrase. Choose something family members can use to verify their identity during an unexpected or suspicious call. Avoid information that could easily be found online.

Hang up and call back. Contact the family member directly using a phone number you already know rather than a number provided by the caller.

Turn on video: if possible, use video calling by using Facetime or other technologies that allow video calling. Look for choppy video, blurred edges, unnatural blending, and even disappearing body parts in the video.   If they refuse to or cannot turn on video, that should be suspicious.

Ask a personal question. If circumstances allow, ask something the real person should know but that would not be readily available through social media or public information.

Don't trust caller ID. Phone numbers and caller names can be spoofed, so a familiar number appearing on the screen should not be considered proof of identity.

Slow down urgent requests. Be especially cautious when someone demands immediate payment through wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards or other difficult-to-reverse methods.

Limit publicly available personal information. Review privacy settings and consider how much personal information, including audio and video, is publicly accessible through social media accounts.

Verify before sending money. Never transfer money or provide financial information solely because of an incoming phone call, text message or video. Never send money to contact information, like email or phone number, you don't already know for that loved one.

Make "Stop, Verify, Then Act" a Family Rule

Impersonation scams are effective because they create pressure to act quickly. Families can reduce that advantage by agreeing in advance that unexpected requests for money or sensitive information will always be independently verified.

"Taking an extra minute to make another phone call can make all the difference," Howard said. "If someone tells you there's an emergency and you can't hang up, can't contact anyone else or have to send money immediately, that's a reason to become more cautious, not less. The more urgent the request is, the more suspicious it should be."

Consumers who believe they have been targeted should contact their financial institution immediately if money or account information was provided, change potentially compromised passwords and report suspected fraud to appropriate authorities.

Mercury customers may also have access to protections designed to help address certain cyber-related risks. Mercury's Home Cyber Protection coverage can provide protection for eligible losses involving online fraud, cyber extortion and other covered cyber events. Identity Management Services can also help when identity-related fraud occurs. Consumers should speak with their insurance agent to understand available coverage, limits and exclusions.

"Technology will continue to change, and scams will change with it, getting more and more complex every day," Howard said. "The best defense is having a Family Verification Plan and using this plan in your family's routine. Trust but verify; trust the person you love but verify that the person contacting you is actually them. Stop, verify, THEN act."

For information about cybersecurity, visit the Mercury Insurance Resource Center.

About Mercury Insurance

Mercury Insurance (NYSE/NYSE TX: MCY) is a multiple-line insurance carrier predominantly offering personal auto, homeowners, renters and commercial insurance through a network of independent agents in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, as well as auto insurance in Florida. Mercury writes other lines of insurance in various states, including commercial, business owners and business auto, landlord, home-sharing, ride-hailing and mechanical protection insurance.

Since 1962, Mercury has provided customers with tremendous value for their insurance dollar by pairing ultra-competitive rates with excellent customer service, through more than 4,200 employees and a network of more than 6,340 independent agents in 11 states. Mercury has earned an "A" rating from A.M. Best, as well as "Best Auto Insurance Company" designations from Forbes and Insure.com. For more information visit www.MercuryInsurance.com or follow the company on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.

Media interested in receiving updates from Mercury can learn more at the Mercury Newsroom.

SOURCE Mercury Insurance