Phone scammers are now using artificial intelligence to steal money from victims with realistic-sounding facsimiles of loved ones.

Scammers take existing recordings uploaded to social media and use AI to create a dynamic version of the voice that can read a script, and is then used to trick others out of cash. Seniors are often targeted, and when AI voice cloning is coupled with phone "spoofing," which falsifies the caller ID to appear as a familiar and trusted phone number, these calls become very convincing frauds.

Katie Shilton, associate professor of information science at the University of Maryland, said raising awareness is currently the best defense.

"People should know that this is a growing kind of crime and should be a little bit suspicious of frantic, threatening phone calls," Shilton advised. "One of the best countermeasures right now is to try to call the person back on their number."

Phone spoofing can also be used to mimic the phone number of a government agency or reputable organization. The Federal Trade Commission reports scammers may use an intermediary posing as an authority figure such as a fake lawyer or police officer.

Scammers will often ask victims to pay or send money in ways making it difficult to recover, including wire transfers, buying gift cards and sending them the number and PIN, or cryptocurrency. If you encounter a scam, you can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Shilton said the AI enabling scammers was originally developed for beneficial purposes.

"AI-powered phone scams are powered by a form of AI development that was meant for prosocial purposes," Shilton explained. "Originally, the voice mimicking was for art or for film; a lot of this work has been about accessibility to create voice assistants. Some of this work was to create voice assistants for business purposes."

The National Science Foundation has established an institute for Trustworthy A.I. in Law and Society. The institute is a partnership between the University of Maryland, George Washington University and Morgan State University, and seeks to develop mechanisms to ensure AI trustworthiness via both technological and public policy responses.

Shilton pointed out one area of innovation for researchers is the concept of watermarking AI output.

"Watermarking is a really promising area of research for generative AI in general, including voice mimicking technologies," Shilton emphasized. "The idea that we should have some sort of way for people to tell when something has been generated by AI as opposed to naturalistic recordings of people or something like that. "

Shilton noted one approach the institute is using to improve public trust in AI is including stakeholder communities in the design process.

"We have participatory design projects with the teachers union in Baltimore, to talk about tools for the classroom," Shilton said. "These are frequently designed outside of classrooms. Could we design them with teachers and parents and teenagers? Or we have accessibility design projects with blind communities to do object recognition."


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Indiana's busy holiday roads can put older drivers to the test.

With 2.8 million Hoosiers traveling this season, the AAA Hoosier Motor Club encouraged families to help senior drivers stay safe.

Christina Griffiths, manager of public affairs and communications for the club, highlighted the importance of preparation for older drivers.

"It really isn't about age necessarily," Griffiths explained. "It truly is a case-by-case basis of what am I dealing with physically, mentally, emotionally, and what can I do better to be as safe as possible?"

Griffiths recommended older drivers take simple steps to prepare for challenging conditions. She suggested checking car tires, brakes and visibility aids like wiper blades. For all drivers, she also stressed the value of adjusting travel times to avoid peak traffic and bad weather.

Winter weather raises the stakes for older drivers. Snow and ice create extra challenges, increasing stress and risk on the road. Griffiths pointed out AAA offers free online assessments and refresher courses to help seniors adjust to physical or emotional changes affecting driving.

"It asks a bunch of questions that you can evaluate: Am I checking behind me when I change lanes? Do I have difficulty with merging, or do I just feel that anxiety, I think is a big one too!" Griffiths outlined. "Maybe you have specific things you need to brush up with on your own skills."

Griffiths urged families to talk openly about driving habits. Small adjustments, like shorter trips or avoiding peak travel times, help seniors stay safe without giving up their independence. She added preparation and support help protect everyone on the road.


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Dementia, a disease with profound effects on families, loved ones and caregivers, affects more than 55 million people globally, including 6 million in the U.S.

New research shows people can reduce their risks by making even small changes in their daily routines, for example, through exercise and eating more vegetables.

Sarah Lock, senior vice president for policy at AARP, said there are also important steps policymakers can take to make it easier for people to maintain healthy behaviors.

"When we do that, we can disrupt dementia," Lock asserted. "That's a really exciting possibility, given that so many of us -- as our nation is aging -- are facing that risk."

Dementia is the third-largest cause of death in the nation for people age 70 and older, and two-thirds of Americans have at least one major potential risk factor. People who smoke five cigarettes per day have a 16% higher dementia risk than nonsmokers. People with prediabetes face a 25% increased risk, which rises to 50% with full-blown diabetes. Prolonged exposure to air pollution is also a major dementia risk factor.

Other risk factors include alcohol use, depression, high body mass index, hearing loss, hypertension, low education, physical inactivity, social isolation and traumatic brain injury. Lock pointed out policies to reduce these risks can vary by state. For example, in Colorado, physical inactivity may not be as big of a
problem as in other states, but hearing loss is relatively high.

"We can suggest to policymakers that they focus on ways to help people screen and correct for hearing loss," Lock noted. "In Colorado, that might be a wiser use of public dollars, to go after the problem that seems to be biggest in your state."

Lock added the goal of the research is to offer people pathways to better brain health and to give older Americans more quality time with their loved ones. The findings were released by the new Dementia Risk Reduction Project, a collaboration between AARP, the Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative and the University of Washington.

Changes coming to Medicare in 2025 could be beneficial for Oregon residents who are eligible for the program.

Oregonians who qualify for Medicare are now in the open enrollment period through Dec. 7, which allows them to search for health coverage plans to best suit their needs.

Ryan Kibby, Oregon Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance project director for the Oregon Department of Human Services, said there will be expanded care options for dementia patients with the Guiding and Improved Dementia Experience or GUIDE program.

"Some of the resources available through GUIDE would include a 24-hour support line, caregiver training and up to $2,500 a year for respite services," Kibby outlined. "That's really just going to help benefit the people who are providing these family caregiver services."

There will also be expanded mental health benefits for people with Medicare in 2025. In 2023, nearly 920,000 Oregonians were enrolled in Medicare. People can get free help to find coverage through Oregon's SHIBA program, either on its website or at 800-722-4134.

Kibby pointed out another major improvement in 2025 is prescription drug costs will be capped.

"There will be a lower maximum to pay for covered drugs, under both Medicare Part D policies and Medicare Advantage drug coverage," Kibby explained. "The maximum amount that people will pay in 2025 is $2,000, and they won't have to pay anything for covered drugs once they reach that amount."

Prescription payment plans will be an option for people who cannot pay in full up-front. The out-of-pocket cost cap also eliminates a gap in coverage, known as the "donut hole," which some have experienced in the past. While Medicare cannot cover prescriptions specifically for weight loss, people can access these drugs for treatment of conditions like Type 2 diabetes.


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