AI voice clone used in extortion calls to Italian businessmen
Fraudsters used AI voice cloning to impersonate Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto in calls to wealthy businessmen in early February 2025, requesting approximately 1 million euros each for purported hostage rescue. At least one businessman transferred substantial funds before Crosetto discovered the scam and reported it to Italian police.
What happened
Several Italian entrepreneurs and businessmen received calls at the start of February in which a deepfake voice purporting to be Defence Minister Guido Crosetto asked them to wire approximately 1 million euros to an overseas bank account. The fraudsters also made similar calls impersonating Ministry of Defence officials, requesting personal information and money. Crosetto learned of the calls when contacted by targeted businessmen and reported the matter to Italian police.
Reported impact
At least one businessman made a large bank transfer to an account provided by a caller impersonating a military general. Multiple wealthy businessmen were targeted in the scheme.
Index analysis
The scheme exploited recent news coverage of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala's release from Iran one month prior, making the pretext for requesting funds appear credible to targets.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.