Scammer used AI voice clone of WCPO meteorologist in Facebook fraud
A scammer created a fake Facebook account impersonating WCPO meteorologist Jennifer Ketchmark and used AI voice cloning software to solicit money from people who made contact with the account. WCPO advised the public to report the account and provided guidance on identifying fraudulent accounts.
What happened
A fake Facebook account impersonating WCPO meteorologist Jennifer Ketchmark made friend requests and solicited money in direct messages. The scammer used AI voice cloning software to generate audio messages that sounded like Ketchmark, with one message saying 'I see no reason why you are doubting me, if I'm not Jennifer Ketchmark, who else would it be?'
The fraudulent account had a misspelled profile ID with an extra 'r' in 'Jenniferr.' According to a security expert, voice cloning can be accomplished with as little as 3 seconds of audio using free AI programs.
Reported impact
Multiple people received messages from the fake account requesting money. The scam attempted to exploit trust by impersonating a recognizable local public figure.
Governance controls
WCPO advised people to report the fake account to Meta and provided guidance on identifying fraudulent accounts, including checking for spelling errors, account creation date, friend count, and profile photos.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.