AI Voice Cloning Scam Defrauds Florida Woman of $15,000
A Florida woman was scammed out of $15,000 after receiving a fraudulent phone call using AI-generated voice cloning to impersonate her daughter in distress. The scammers posed as legal counsel demanding bail money, convincing Brightwell to withdraw cash which she gave to a driver at her home.
What happened
Sharon Brightwell, a Florida woman living outside Tampa, received a phone call from a number appearing to belong to her daughter, April Munroe. The caller, using AI-cloned voice technology, impersonated Munroe claiming she had hit a pregnant woman with her car while texting and driving.
A second person on the call posing as a lawyer stated that $15,000 cash was needed immediately for bail and instructed Brightwell not to tell her bank the purpose of the withdrawal. Brightwell withdrew the money and handed it to a driver who appeared at her house.
Reported impact
Brightwell lost $15,000 to the scammers. Shortly after the initial scam, she received another call from someone claiming to be a relative of the pregnant woman, demanding an additional $30,000 in cash.
Brightwell's grandson, who was with her throughout the incident, realized the scam was fraudulent only when Munroe texted him from work during her lunch break, confirming she had not been in an accident.
Classification
Sources and evidence
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