AG Schwalb issued the below Consumer Alert to District residents, warning of sophisticated telemarketing scams that target victims with fake audio or video recordings of people they know, often asking for money to help them get out of an emergency situation:

“We are witnessing a disturbing upward trend of scammers preying on District residents, particularly seniors, using artificial intelligence to steal their money, sensitive information and data. I urge everyone to be cautious when receiving unexpected calls or messages, especially those that relay an unusual sense of urgency or request personal information. And if anyone believes they’ve been the victim of one of these deepfake telemarketing scams, they should immediately report it to OAG’s Consumer Protection team.”- AG Scwalb