Scammer Uses AI Voice Clone of Daughter in Extortion Call to Louisville Mother
A Louisville mother received a phone call from a voice claiming to be her 10-year-old daughter reporting a car accident, followed by threats from a man claiming to have kidnapped her. The mother confirmed her daughter was safe at school and later realized she had been targeted by a scam using AI voice-cloning technology to impersonate her daughter's voice.
What happened
Kim Alvey, a Louisville resident, received a phone call on a Tuesday afternoon that appeared to be from her 10-year-old daughter claiming she had been in a car accident and needed help. The voice sounded distressed and familiar to Alvey.
After the initial plea, a man identifying himself as 'Hector' came on the line and threatened to kidnap the daughter if Alvey called police, demanding she come to a specific location. The caller stated he had the daughter in his car.
When Alvey attempted to add her husband to the call, the scammer hung up. Alvey immediately called her daughter's school and confirmed her daughter was safe at school, revealing the entire incident was a scam using voice-cloning technology.
Reported impact
Alvey described extreme panic and emotional distress during the call. She said her heart was racing and all she could think about was reaching her daughter.
After learning her daughter was safe, Alvey hugged her daughter for ten minutes while crying. She told her daughter she would not let her out of her sight.
Index analysis
The FBI has issued warnings about the increasing use of artificial intelligence in such scams, including voice-cloning technology to impersonate loved ones in fabricated emergencies.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.