Homemaker duped of ₹1.97 lakh in ‘AI’ voice scam-OxBig News Network

A 72-year-old homemaker from Hyderabad was duped of ₹1.97 lakh in a AI-generated voice fraud.

The cybercrime wing of the Hyderabad police booked a case and initiated investigation.

The woman received a WhatsApp message purportedly from her sister-in-law’s number, who resides in New Jersey, USA, requesting the amount. To confirm the request, she called her sister-in-law’s number and heard a voice say “yes”. Convinced that it was a genuine request, she transferred the amount through GooglePay, only to realise later that it was a scam.

According to the police, the scammers could have used AI-generated voice technology to mimic the sister-in-law’s voice, adding to the credibility of the request. Investigation is underway to identify the technology used and the money trail.

Following the case, the police issued a public advisory warning people about the rise in AI-based scams where fraudsters impersonate family members and pressure victims into making urgent payments. Citizens are advised to not respond to suspicious calls or messages on WhatsApp, especially if they involve money transfers, and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on WhatsApp to safeguard accounts.