If you have been receiving calls but no one is talking on the other side, there is a good chance that it was an AI voice recorder. In a recent warning from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), a fresh scam tactic has emerged that turns silence into danger.
According to the source, rather than hearing a voice on the other end of the phone, victims simply receive a “silent call”, a call with no one speaking. That silence hides a more sinister intent: scammers are using artificial-intelligence tools to gather voice metadata, then clone and misuse it.
How the Silent Call Scam Works
The scheme begins with a phone call from an unknown number, local or international. The call rings, you answer, and nothing. No greeting. No background noise. Just silence. If you remain silent and hang up, you might avoid trouble. But if you speak, even slightly, say “hello” or ask who’s calling, scammers can record your voice.
That recorded voice data is then allegedly processed using AI to create a cloned voice. With this cloned voice, scammers can impersonate you. For example, to call your family pretending to be you in an emergency, or to bypass voice verification systems used by banks or other institutions.
Receiving a silent call that you answer effectively signals that your number is “live.” Once flagged, your number may be added to lists sold to other scammers, opening the door to follow-up scam calls or messages.
Real Experiences: Why People Are Worried
A data analyst from Kuala Lumpur shared how he recently began receiving silent calls from unknown numbers. Because he was aware of the scam warnings, he would stay silent and hang up, avoiding being added to any target list. Another person, a 43-year-old from Petaling Jaya, reported experiencing repeated calls from a combination of local and overseas numbers. He voiced concern, especially for older family members who might not recognise such a scam when it happens.
It’s particularly worrying because this tactic doesn’t rely on persuasion or trickery at first: silence is enough. Once scammers obtain your voice metadata, they can return later with more convincing arguments using a voice that sounds exactly like yours.
What to Do?
The shift to AI-powered scams marks a disturbing evolution in fraud tactics. What makes this especially insidious is that, unlike older scams that relied on deception or coercion, the new “silent call” approach uses passive data harvesting. Scammers don’t have to persuade you; they just need to record you unwittingly.
Given how common scam calls already are, with messages posing as banks, government agencies or courier firms on the rise, this additional layer of AI-enabled impersonation ups the stakes considerably. That’s why the best defence remains simple: silence. If you receive a call from an unknown number and there’s no voice, don’t speak; hang up immediately. Stay safe and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
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