Parents lose $15,449 in AI voice cloning scam impersonating son
Benjamin Perkin's parents received a call from someone claiming to be a lawyer, who said their son was in jail and needed money. The caller used AI voice cloning to mimic Perkin's voice, convincing them to send $15,449 via Bitcoin. The scam was discovered when Perkin called later that evening. The money was not recovered.
7 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-generated voice impersonates Liz Bonnin to deceive Incognito
Scammers used an AI-generated voice to impersonate BBC presenter Liz Bonnin, convincing Incognito CEO Howard Carter to pay £20,000 for an endorsement. Bonnin's likeness was used in insect repellant ads without her consent. The AI-generated voice note exhibited inconsistent accent and cadence, as assessed by experts. Incognito reported the incident to police and its bank.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
White House investigates AI voice-cloning hack impersonating Chief of Staff
The White House is investigating a cyber breach in which contacts of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles were accessed and used to impersonate her with AI voice cloning. Multiple high-level figures reportedly received calls and texts appearing to be from her. The White House spokesperson said the matter is under investigation, but no specific harm from the calls has been confirmed.
5 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-powered scam compound in Myanmar uses ChatGPT and Gemini to defraud thousands globally
Safeer Mohammed Koorimannil, trafficked to a scam compound in Tai Chang, Myanmar, was forced to use AI-powered software to impersonate a woman and deceive victims into sending money. The software, Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition and Global Social Traffic Navigation, used OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini to generate messages and translate in over 100 languages. Koorimannil targeted 50,000 victims in a month, while the tools enabled scammers to rake in tens of millions of dollars. U.S. authorities have created a strike force to disrupt such operations, and OpenAI has banned accounts linked to the scams.
- Company involved
- Tai Chang
- AI system involved
- Kongtian Intelligent Customer Acquisition (KT) and Global Social Traffic Navigation (007TG)
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Berlin court rules AI imitation of voice actor's voice violates personal rights
A German voice actor, known as the German voice of Bruce Willis, took legal action against the operator of a YouTube channel. The operator had used an AI-generated voice deceptively similar to the actor's voice in two videos with right-wing political content and to advertise goods, without the actor's consent. The Berlin Regional Court ruled on August 20, 2025, that this violated the actor's general personal rights and that he is entitled to compensation. The court based its decision on the lack of consent and the failure to label the voice as AI-generated, and the case is not yet final.
- Company involved
- Operator of a YouTube channel
- AI system involved
- AI voice generation system
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Port Neches man warns of AI voice cloning scam after frightening call
Jace Edgar of Port Neches, Texas, received a phone call from a scammer using AI to clone his sister's voice, claiming she had been in an accident. Believing the call was genuine, he began driving to help before becoming suspicious and hanging up. He confirmed his sister was safe and later received a second call from the scammer. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office commented that such AI-powered scams are increasing and advised people not to release information over the phone.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Bank of America Customer Targeted by AI Voice Deepfake Scam
Clive Kabatznik, a Florida investor, was targeted by scammers who used AI-generated voice deepfakes to impersonate him in calls to his Bank of America representative. The fraudsters attempted to trick the banker into transferring money, but the banker became suspicious and hung up. The bank reported the incident to its security team, and it took about 10 days for Mr. Kabatznik to re-establish contact with his banker. The incident highlights the growing threat of voice deepfakes in financial scams.
- Company involved
- Bank of America
2 source articles · read the reporting →
AI voice clone used in $13,000 extortion of Garfield man
In March 2026, Mark Young of Garfield, Washington, received a call from scammers using AI to mimic his daughter's voice, claiming she had been kidnapped. Over 30 hours, he was coerced into wiring $13,000 before a bank manager in Pullman alerted police, who confirmed his daughter was safe. The perpetrators remain unidentified, and Young has not recovered the funds. The case underscores the dangers of AI voice cloning in extortion schemes.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Docomo Pacific CEO's mother targeted in AI voice cloning scam
Docomo Pacific's CEO Christine Baleto revealed that her elderly mother received a scam call from someone impersonating a federal agent, using AI voice cloning to pressure her into revealing personal information. The caller threatened to send agents to her home if she did not comply. Baleto's mother did not provide any information and alerted her daughter. Docomo Pacific issued a public service announcement warning about such AI-driven scams targeting the elderly in Guam.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Bay Area mom loses $5,400 in AI voice cloning kidnapping scam
Deborah Del Mastro received a call from scammers claiming her daughter was kidnapped. They used AI to clone her daughter's voice, convincing her to wire $5,400 to Mexico. After following instructions for five hours, she discovered her daughter was safe and the call was a scam. Martinez police are investigating, but Del Mastro does not expect to recover the money.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Mother targeted by AI voice cloning scam in fake kidnapping
A mother in Arizona received a phone call from scammers who used AI to clone her daughter's voice, making her believe her daughter had been kidnapped. The scammers demanded a ransom, but the mother confirmed her daughter was safe before paying. The incident highlights the growing threat of AI voice cloning scams.
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Italian bank (Fideuram / Intesa Sanpaolo) loses about 95 million euro to AI voice-clone scam
The AI-generated voice deceived the chairman into authorizing transfers of about 95 million euros.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Overnight, Meta deleted all her accounts. AI customer service won’t let her reach a human - CBC
Meta's AI moderation permanently disabled Jasmine Ault's Facebook and Instagram accounts, and AI customer service chatbots denied her appeal without human review.
- Company involved
- Meta
1 source article · read the reporting →
Spinvox accused of using human transcribers for voice messages
Spinvox, a UK voice-to-text firm, is accused of using call centre staff in South Africa and the Philippines to transcribe the majority of user messages, contrary to claims of automated speech recognition. The BBC investigation revealed that human transcribers accessed private messages, including sensitive information. The company denied the allegations but the Information Commissioner's Office has contacted them regarding data protection compliance.
- Company involved
- Spinvox
- AI system involved
- D2 (the Brain)
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Indore Play School Owner Loses Savings in AI Voice Cloning Fraud
A middle-aged woman in Indore, India, lost her entire savings of Rs 97,500 after a fraudster used AI voice cloning to impersonate her cousin, a police officer. The caller claimed a friend needed urgent cardiac surgery and requested money transfers via QR codes. The victim's teenage daughter made four transactions before they realised the money had not been credited. Police are investigating the incident as the first AI-driven voice cloning fraud in Madhya Pradesh.
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Scammer Uses AI Voice to Impersonate MSNBC's Ari Melber, Defrauds Elderly Woman of $20,000
A 73-year-old woman in Washington state was defrauded of at least $20,000 by a scammer posing as MSNBC host Ari Melber. The scammer used AI-generated voice messages to convince Patricia Taylor they were in a romantic relationship, and she boarded a plane to New York to meet him. Her family intercepted her during a layover in Portland, fearing she would have been kidnapped. Police are investigating, and MSNBC confirmed the real Ari Melber was not involved.
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Commonwealth Bank worker made redundant after unknowingly training AI chatbot to replace her
Kathryn Sullivan, a 63-year-old Commonwealth Bank teller, was made redundant in July 2025 after spending years training the bank's 'Bumblebee' chatbot to respond to customers. She was unaware that she was helping the AI replace her own role. Sullivan confronted CEO Matt Comyn at the bank's AGM in Brisbane, where chairman Paul O'Malley acknowledged the bank had made a mistake. The Finance Sector Union had brought a case before the Fair Work Commission, resulting in some jobs being offered back, but not all.
- Company involved
- Commonwealth Bank
- AI system involved
- Bumblebee
4 source articles · read the reporting →
AI voice clone scams Hillsborough woman out of $15,000
Sharon Brightwell received a call from a number appearing to be her daughter's, with a voice sobbing and claiming to have been in a car crash. A man posing as an attorney demanded $15,000 in bail money, which she paid. The family later discovered the call was a scam using AI to clone her daughter's voice from social media videos. A report has been filed with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and a GoFundMe launched to recover the lost savings.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Amazon employees listen to thousands of Alexa users' private voice recordings
The article reports that Amazon employs thousands of people globally to listen to voice recordings captured by Alexa devices in Echo owners' homes. The recordings are used to improve Alexa's speech recognition, but users are not explicitly told that humans listen to their conversations. Workers sometimes hear private moments, including a possible sexual assault. Amazon stated that only a small sample is annotated and strict safeguards are in place.
- Company involved
- Amazon.com Inc.
- AI system involved
- Alexa
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Kerala police investigate deepfake scam that cost Kozhikode man ₹40,000
A 73-year-old retired man in Kozhikode, Kerala, was duped into transferring ₹40,000 after receiving WhatsApp messages and a video call that appeared to show a former colleague. Police believe the caller used deepfake technology to mimic the colleague's face and voice. The man realised the fraud when the caller asked for more money and he contacted his actual colleague. Police froze the money in a Maharashtra bank account and said the scam may be part of a wider group operation.
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Dealership revoked offer to buy back customer's BMW, blaming wayward AI chatbot - cbc.ca
The AI chatbot offered a buy-back price of $27,162.79 to customer Zack Giacomelli for his BMW.
- Company involved
- BMW Toronto
- AI system involved
- Quinn
1 source article · read the reporting →
U.S. Federal Court Allows CIPA Class Action Against AI Customer Service Provider to Proceed - Wilson Sonsini
The AI system intercepted and recorded a customer's phone call and collected her personal and financial information without consent.
- Company involved
- ConverseNow Technologies, Inc.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Patagonia Targeted by Privacy Class Action for Use of Customer Service AI Software - Law.com
The system intercepted, recorded, and mined data from customer service calls, affecting customers' privacy.
- Company involved
- Patagonia
- AI system involved
- Talkdesk
1 source article · read the reporting →
MAJOR LAWSUIT ALERT!: Home Depot And Google Facing CIPA Lawsuit For Use Of Google’s Cloud Contact Center AI - natlawreview.com
The system recorded and transcribed customer service calls without consent, affecting the privacy of callers.
- Company involved
- Home Depot
- AI system involved
- Google Cloud Contact Center AI
1 source article · read the reporting →