A phone call claiming a loved one is in jail and urgently needs money may sound convincing, but Bozeman police say it is likely a scam, and one that is becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“These scams are going around more often than you might think,” said Bozeman Police Department Capt. Hal Richardson.
While similar phone scams have existed for years, Richardson said advances in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, are making them harder to detect.
“They are using a lot of technology to make it look like it’s legitimate,” Richardson said. “Lately, with the internet and AI-type stuff, I think these folks that are scammers are just getting more bold.”
WATCH: Scammers Use Advanced AI Technology to Pose as Family Members in Urgent Calls
To better understand how artificial intelligence is changing scam tactics, MTN News spoke with Montana State University computer science professor Matthew Revelle.
“There are definitely upgrades being done by people running scam operations,” Revelle said.
Revelle said voice-altering technology, including voice-to-text tools designed to sound realistic, is advancing rapidly — allowing scammers to impersonate family members with alarming accuracy.
“Usually, once they get the hook into you one time, they know that they have somebody they can get money from,” Revelle said.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, scam losses totaled $4.885 billion in 2024. The FBI reports seniors are among the most frequently targeted groups, noting they are often perceived as more polite and trusting.
“It’s unfortunate because a lot of older folks are living paycheck to paycheck and are on a fixed income,” Richardson said.
The tactic hits close to home for Richardson, who said his own grandmother was once targeted.
“My grandma years ago was a victim of it as well, and they used me as the person who was supposedly in jail,” he said.
Revelle warned that scams involving family members will only become more convincing as technology continues to evolve. He said real-time voice alteration — and even facial manipulation — is now possible and was not widely available just a few years ago.
“A filter that is applied in real time that is transforming us to make us seem like someone that we aren’t,” Revelle said.
Richardson emphasized that law enforcement agencies never demand money over the phone.
“We never accept money for warrants or any of that type of stuff,” he said. “Period. It doesn’t happen.”
Bozeman police urge anyone who receives a suspected scam call to report it to the department’s non-emergency number, (406) 582-2000.
