In San Antonio, experts in fraud prevention are raising alarms about an escalating scam that utilizes artificial intelligence to impersonate family members and reputable financial institutions, aiming to deceive individuals out of their money and personal details.
Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union alerted its members that these scams are rapidly evolving in complexity. Brian Munsterteiger, the Senior Vice President of Central Operations for the credit union, noted a significant increase in advanced impersonation schemes, where members receive calls that seem to originate from RBFCU, as identified on their caller ID.
Scammers have the ability to falsify caller ID information, making it look like legitimate calls are coming from actual registered numbers. Often, victims are informed of dubious activity on their accounts or warned that their funds are at risk.
Munsterteiger emphasized that once trust is built, scammers conjure a false sense of urgency. “They tend to validate a transaction that doesn’t actually exist,” he explained. “They gain the member’s confidence by portraying themselves as employees of RBFCU and presenting calls that seem authentic.”
In some situations, victims are manipulated into disclosing their usernames, passwords, or one-time authentication codes. In other scenarios, victims find themselves convinced to transfer money or withdraw cash to give it to a courier, all under the pretext of securing their assets.
Notably, experts assert that artificial intelligence has made these fraudulent schemes significantly more convincing. “They’re utilizing voice spoofing technologies that can replicate real individuals' voices,” Munsterteiger shared. “I’ve listened to some of these calls, and they sound remarkably genuine.”
This warning coincides with the rising prevalence of voice-cloning scams being reported across the country. Techniques powered by AI can duplicate someone’s voice using just a small sample of audio, which amplifies the threat of impersonation.
According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Report, Americans reportedly lost around $893 million due to scams associated with AI last year. The agency documented over 22,000 reports that encompassed voice-cloning schemes, AI-driven phishing attacks, and various other fraud attempts.
Among the reported scams, some involve “distress” calls where perpetrators emulate the voice of a family member in a crisis, urging immediate financial assistance. Victims indicated they suffered losses exceeding $5 million from these specific schemes in 2025.
Munsterteiger pointed out that anyone can fall prey to these scams, dismissing the stereotype that only the unsuspecting may be targeted. “A common misconception is that this happens only to less intelligent individuals, which is simply not true,” he remarked, noting that many savvy individuals have been victims.
To aid in prevention, RBFCU and federal investigators highlight several warning signs to watch for:
- A caller claims immediate action is needed due to a compromised account. - You are asked to provide sensitive information such as passwords, usernames, or authentication codes. - Instructions may include transferring funds or withdrawing cash to a 'safe' holding account. - There may be pressure to act quickly without cross-verifying any information. - The call appears to be from a trusted company, yet sensitive information is solicited.
For protective measures, RBFCU advises members to:
- Pause and assess before responding to unexpected requests. - Keep passwords, security codes, and one-time codes confidential from anyone, including representatives from banks. - Don’t rely solely on caller ID; instead, hang up and call back using a verified number. - Approach urgent financial requests with skepticism.
“If anyone is asking for personal information, it’s almost certainly a scam,” Munsterteiger cautioned. He suggested hanging up and reaching out to the actual institution directly.
In case of receiving a dubious call, voicemail, text, or email that asks for money, account details, or personal information, it’s essential to terminate the communication and verify independently. Reporting a scam can be done by:
- Contacting the financial institution directly, using only known or officially obtained contact details rather than information from unsolicited communications. - Reporting the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov to help authorities monitor and combat these trends. - Submitting a report to the FBI at IC3.gov if personal information has been shared, money has been sent, or if you believe you were specifically targeted.
