The Daily Money: AI-generated robocalls banned by FCC

Happy Friday! This is Betty Lin-Fisher with today's The Daily Money. Each Friday, I will bring you a consumer-focused edition of this newsletter.

We all hate robocalls. What about robocalls that are AI-generated and faked?

We are learning how to live with the explosion of AI technology in our lives. In some ways, AI technology can make your life easier (Siri and Alexa are considered AI). But lots of discussion is happening around how AI could also be troubling.

In New Hampshire last month, a fake AI-generated robocall that seemed to come from President Joe Biden telling voters to skip the primary is being investigated by state officials.

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday made robocalls using AI-generated voices illegal. But will the ban help? Read more in my story.

Kids and teens get scammed, too

When you think of scam victims, often you think of senior citizens. But victims under the age of 20 lost a staggering $210 million in 2022 alone, according to USA TODAY columnist, Kim Komando.

Read more about common scams that target kids and teens and how to protect them in her column.

📰 Consumer stories you shouldn't miss 📰

• Following last week's tip that you can return a couch to Costco after 2½ years, here's a Wall Street Journal story explaining why your couch may not last that long.
• How much do you tip and how does it compare to others across the country?
• Hackers are coming after travel loyalty accounts.
• The Grand Canyon has been ranked most dangerous park. Is it?
• Why are more women in the gig economy?

🍔 Today's Menu 🍔

Tomorrow marks the start of Chinese New Year. The year of the rabbit ends and the year of the dragon begins.

For today's food item, I'm taking some liberties and sharing a cool graphic produced by my USA TODAY graphics colleagues, which explains more about Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year. It also includes explanations of what foods are typically eaten and what they represent.

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer news from USA TODAY. We break down financial news and provide the TLDR version: how decisions by the Federal Reserve, government and companies impact you.