AI-Generated Voice Scam Targets Colorado Mother
A Colorado mother reportedly received a call using an AI-generated voice mimicking her daughter, combined with social engineering, in an attempt to coerce $2,000. The incident illustrates growing criminal use of voice-cloning technology in impostor scams.
What happened
A Colorado woman received a call in February 2025 from someone using a voice that sounded like her youngest daughter, who allegedly sobbed and asked for help. A man then came on the line claiming the daughter had witnessed a drug deal and was being held in his van, and demanded money to be wired to Mexico.
Reported impact
The woman was instructed to wire $2,000 to Mexico via Western Union and was placed under stress during the incident, receiving detailed instructions about her movements and timing.
Index analysis
The Federal Trade Commission identified impostor scams as the most-reported type in 2024, resulting in nearly $3 billion in losses. Criminals increasingly use generative AI to clone voices; according to McAfee, it takes three seconds of audio to clone a voice with 85% accuracy, and AI can approximate voices of any age, gender or dialect.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.