AI-Generated Voice Used in Fraudulent Fund Transfer Attempt in India
Unidentified persons allegedly used AI-generated voice and forged documents to attempt transferring Rs 3.20 to 3.60 crore from BJP MLC Prasad Lad's development fund in India. An alert official prevented the transfer and Mumbai Police charged four individuals with cyber fraud. Similar incidents reportedly targeted other MLCs.
What happened
Unidentified persons forged BJP MLC Prasad Lad's letterhead and signature and created his voice using AI to attempt to transfer Rs 3.20 to 3.60 crore from the Ratnagiri district development fund to Beed district. The fraud came to light on Tuesday 1 July 2025 when Lad received a call from the Ratnagiri collectorate enquiring whether he had transferred the amount.
An alert official detected suspicious activity and prevented the transfer from succeeding. Four individuals were charged with attempting the illicit transfer using counterfeit documents and AI-generated voice recordings.
Reported impact
The fraudulent scheme targeted Lad's local development fund for Rs 3.20 to 3.60 crore and listed 36 works. Council Chairman Ram Shinde revealed that similar incidents had occurred with other MLCs including Uma Khapre and Niranjan Davkhare.
Index analysis
The perpetrators used forged letterhead and signatures alongside AI-generated voice to impersonate Lad and authorise the fund transfer. The use of AI-generated voice created the false impression that Lad had personally spoken to officials authorising the transaction.
Governance controls
Lad demanded that the government develop a system such as the generation of OTP which can be forwarded to lawmakers when disbursal of MLA funds is initiated. Council Chairman Ram Shinde stated that the matter challenges the government which should take cognisance and take a policy decision.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.