Woman Duped Of Rs 1.4 Lakh As Caller Mimics Nephew's Voice Using AI

An AI voice scam took a toll on a woman who ended up transferring Rs 1.4 lakh after receiving a call that strikingly imitated her nephew's voice from Canada. Claiming distress and an urgent need for cash, the caller manipulated her emotions, prompting her to make multiple transactions before realising it was an AI-generated voice.

According to cyber experts, individuals with relatives in Canada and Israel are increasingly becoming targets of these AI voice scams.

The 59-year-old victim, Prabhjyot (name changed), shared her disbelief, stating, "He sounded exactly like my nephew, speaking our native Punjabi dialect with precision. He called late at night, citing an accident and imminent arrest, urging me to transfer money discreetly."

In a separate incident, an elderly woman received a call from her 'nephew' in Canada seeking help. As she was unfamiliar with online transactions, her family intervened promptly, verifying the situation through a video call to the actual nephew in Canada, thwarting the scam.

Prasad Patibandla, Director of Operations at the Centre for Research on Cyber Intelligence and Digital Forensics in Delhi, explained, "AI voice imitation tools replicate voices accurately, often sourced from public domains like live broadcasts, voice recordings shared with others, or even through fraudulent sales calls with recorded voices. While creating a sense of urgency is common, the portrayal of a relative in distress amplifies the urgency."