In general - from my time working at a phone company call center some years back - it is a much better indicator of security to ask folks to verify some account information than to try to say someone is doing something fraudulent by judging whether or not the sound of their voice matches what I think it should sound like based on their name. Verifying information tends to mean that the person has permission to speak about it. A lot of companies will let folks 'authorize' someone to speak on an account, set up a password, or simply allow her to tell them to talk to you and hand the phone to you. If you call from her personal phone, that is another step to verify as well.
Trying to judge someone's voice doesn't add security, though. Some folks don't have voices that can be classed as one gender: Some folks voices simply are deeper or higher than expected. Not to mention that some folks are transgender, which does mean that sometimes the voice won't match outward appearance or perceived gendered name. Some folks have health issues that make their voices seem deeper or higher as well.
They could have just though you were old, too. Sometimes older voices are more unisex.
To complicate things even more, parents name their children non-gendered names and some names have switched genders over the years. And to add another layer: Foreign names can sound like they "belong" to a gender they aren't traditionally used for.
I was just talking to my transgender friend and she much more frequently gets questioned after she changed her name which is a bit frustrating for her.
I'm not saying that it can be used as a tip-off for extra verification but the real solution is to use a strong authenticator in the first place and not worry about these "softer" details.
Yeah, I don't blame you. What if I have a strong head cold? Can folks that mimic voices trick it?
Fingerprints are fairly unique, but not necessarily special to you and only you. I really don't know if voice is even that special or if this is more like a car door lock: It's ok so long as there is enough verification.
In general - from my time working at a phone company call center some years back - it is a much better indicator of security to ask folks to verify some account information than to try to say someone is doing something fraudulent by judging whether or not the sound of their voice matches what I think it should sound like based on their name. Verifying information tends to mean that the person has permission to speak about it. A lot of companies will let folks 'authorize' someone to speak on an account, set up a password, or simply allow her to tell them to talk to you and hand the phone to you. If you call from her personal phone, that is another step to verify as well.
Trying to judge someone's voice doesn't add security, though. Some folks don't have voices that can be classed as one gender: Some folks voices simply are deeper or higher than expected. Not to mention that some folks are transgender, which does mean that sometimes the voice won't match outward appearance or perceived gendered name. Some folks have health issues that make their voices seem deeper or higher as well.
They could have just though you were old, too. Sometimes older voices are more unisex.
To complicate things even more, parents name their children non-gendered names and some names have switched genders over the years. And to add another layer: Foreign names can sound like they "belong" to a gender they aren't traditionally used for.