AI-Cloned Voice of Florida Sheriff’s Captain Used in Warrant Scam

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Artificial intelligence is helping scammers impersonate real law enforcement officers, including cloning their voices to falsely claim that victims skipped jury duty or have an active arrest warrant.

The intimidation is designed to pressure people into revealing sensitive information or paying potentially thousands of dollars to avoid arrest.

In Osceola County, residents have received a voicemail from someone identifying himself as “Captain Steve Moser” and urging them to call the sheriff’s office.

The message may sound credible because Steve Moser is an actual captain with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and his photograph is publicly available on the agency’s website.

“They cloned his voice and were also using Steve’s picture to make it appear that he was the person calling, but it was not him,” Sheriff Chris Blackmon said.

Blackmon said reports involving bogus warrants and alleged missed jury duty are becoming more frequent. The sheriff’s office has posted a social media warning to alert residents about the scam.

Cybersecurity specialists say creating a convincing voice imitation requires far less audio than most people might expect.

Cybersecurity expert Perry Carpenter demonstrated for News 6 how scammers can generate a realistic voice clone from recordings taken from videos posted online.

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“Any person with a little bit of curiosity can clone a voice with a good 20 seconds of audio,” Carpenter said. “Some systems that are available can do it with less than five seconds of audio.”

Blackmon emphasized that the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office will not call residents to demand payment for resolving a warrant or a missed jury duty matter.

Anyone told they will be arrested unless they pay immediately should end the call.

Residents should then contact the agency directly through a phone number independently confirmed on its official website or another trusted source. Do not use a number supplied by the caller or included in a voicemail or text message.

A familiar voice, an official-looking photograph and even a legitimate-looking caller ID are not proof that the person contacting you is genuine.

Scammers can manipulate all three.

Before providing personal details or transferring money, verify the caller’s identity through an independent and trusted source.