NY AG James — Consumer Alert on AI Voice-Clone Scams and Romance Schemes
NY · NY OAG Press Release (Oct. 17, 2024)
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued consumer alerts warning New Yorkers about AI voice-cloning grandparent scams, AI romance and pig-butchering schemes, and AI investment fraud — and pledged enforcement under New York's GBL § 349 against deceptive AI uses.
Technical detail
NY OAG consumer alert series (Oct. 17, 2024 'Next Decade of AI' symposium report and Dec. 13, 2024 holiday-scam alert): identifies AI voice-clone family-emergency scams, AI romance/pig-butchering scams, and AI investment-platform fraud; announces enforcement priorities under N.Y. Gen. Bus. L. §§ 349 (deceptive practices), 350 (false advertising), and the NY SHIELD Act.
Who is protected: New York consumers, especially seniors targeted by AI voice-clone fraud
Who must comply: Businesses and individuals engaging in AI-enabled deceptive practices in NY
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | NY |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2024-10-17 |
| Enacted | 2024-10-17 |
| Citation | NY OAG Press Release (Oct. 17, 2024) |
| Enforced by | New York Attorney General |
| Private right of action | Yes — individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Civil penalties up to $5,000 per GBL § 349 violation; restitution; injunctive relief |
| Topics | consumer protection · deepfakes · consumer data privacy |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | Attorney General James Works to Protect New Yorkers From Artificial Intelligence ↗ |
More AI rules in NY
- A10909 · Proposed / pending
- NY AG · In effect
- NY Bar AI Report · In effect
- NY AI digital replica law · In effect
- NY ITS AI Policy P24-001 · In effect
- NY S5959-D (2020, digital replicas + deepfake porn) · In effect
Related consumer protection rules elsewhere
- Missouri AI Therapy Chatbot Ban (SB 1019) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Vermont Data Broker Law (H.211) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Arkansas Frank Broyles Act AI amendment — voice and likeness protection (2025) · In effect
- PA v. Character.AI (Fake Psychiatrist Chatbot) · Blocked / in litigation
- NAACP v. xAI (Colossus 2 Air Pollution) · Blocked / in litigation
- RI Therapy Chatbot Ban (2026) · In effect
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