Nagpur: The Cyber Crime police across India including Nagpur have cautioned people about an Artificial Intelligence-assisted voice cloning scam, and urged people to remain vigilant even if they receive distress calls from their ‘dear ones’. Scammers may use deceptive tactics and voice cloning to imitate voices of family members and friends, to extract money from potential victims, media reports said.
According to reports, scammers employ various tactics to convince victims that they were indeed in emotional distress and urgently needed money. “Behind the scene, the scammer utilises sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) software to clone the voice of the person they are impersonating. They obtain the voice sample of the person they are impersonating from their social media posts/videos or by simply talking to the person over the phone as a wrong call,” the reports explained.
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This technology allows the fraudster to imitate the voice of a victim’s loved one accurately. The scamster then makes a call to a victim, imitating the voice of their trusted contacts and faking an emergency, which creates a sense of distress among victims, and they are tricked into transferring money immediately. The scammer then requests the victim to transfer money immediately, often suggesting fast payment methods such as UPI, police said. To protect oneself, cyber crime police suggest asking questions or contacting the supposed caller through a verified number before taking any action.
“Stay informed about common scams, including voice cloning fraud, and recognise the warning signs. Be wary of unexpected requests for money, especially if they involve urgent situations or emotional manipulation. Use secure communication channels, such as encrypted messaging apps or video calls, to verify identity,” the police advised.
Victims of similar activities or those who have come across any such suspicious activities can report the incident by calling the Cyber Crime toll-free helpline number 1930 or registering a complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
Police have also cautioned the people against unusual requests for money, particularly those involving stressful situations and emotional manipulation. Public are advised to verify the identity of people seeking urgent financial assistance using secure communication channels, such as encrypted messaging apps or video calls.
The development comes at a time when there are concerns about the misuse of AI and deepfakes. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an interaction with Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, also flagged the possibility of misuse of AI without proper training. PM Modi also called for using watermarks for AI-generated content to address the concerns over AI’s misuse.
Talking to Nagpur Today, DCP Archit Chandak said that though there has been no such incident reported in Nagpur city, we would like to advise citizens to stay alert regarding the scam and report to the police if they come across such calls.
