Silent calls used to collect voice samples for AI cloning and fraud in Mexico
Criminals in Mexico reportedly use silent phone calls to verify active numbers and collect voice samples for AI-powered voice cloning. The cloned voices are then used to impersonate victims to family members and banks to fraudulently obtain money, with reported financial fraud via phone calls increasing by nearly 20% in early 2026.
What happened
In Mexico, silent calls—phone calls where the recipient answers but hears no one on the other end—have been identified as part of a fraud scheme involving voice cloning through artificial intelligence. Cybercriminals reportedly use these calls to confirm that a phone number is active, detect when the owner is likely to answer, identify regional accent or speech patterns, and collect voice samples.
According to research cited from Queen Mary University of London, as few as three seconds of clean audio can generate a voice clone with 85% similarity, and the majority of people can no longer distinguish between a real and synthetic voice. Once a voice model is created, fraudsters contact family members, friends, or banks impersonating the phone number's owner to request urgent transfers or authorize financial transactions.
Reported impact
Between December 2025 and January 2026, 88% of users in Latin America received unwanted calls, and 11% of those contacts were attempts at bank fraud or deceptive promotions, according to Kaspersky. Condusef reported that financial fraud via phone calls and messages grew nearly 20% in Mexico during the first months of 2026.
Index analysis
The Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana issued a national alert due to the increase in reports of this fraud pattern. The Secretaría de Seguridad Pública of Yucatán recommended blocking the caller's number, not returning the call, and reporting the incident.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.