Voice cloning technology misused in fraud schemes worldwide
Cybercriminals are using voice cloning technology to create realistic audio impersonations of celebrities, authorities and ordinary people in fraud schemes. The scams target diverse victims including businesspeople, teenagers and children across multiple countries, requesting payment through gift cards, wire transfers and cryptocurrency.
What happened
Cybercriminals exploit voice cloning technology to impersonate celebrities, authorities or ordinary people for fraud. They collect audio samples from sources like YouTube and TikTok, which the technology analyses to generate new recordings that can be used in deceptive communications, often accompanied by spoofing Caller ID to appear trustworthy.
Voice cloning can be accomplished with just a three-second audio sample. The process creates urgency and gains the victim's trust before requesting money via gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.
Reported impact
Criminals cloned the voice of a company director in the United Arab Emirates to orchestrate a $A51 million heist. A businessman in Mumbai fell victim to a voice cloning scam involving a fake call from the Indian Embassy in Dubai.
In Australia, scammers employed a voice clone of Queensland Premier Steven Miles to attempt to trick people to invest in Bitcoin. Teenagers and children are also targeted in voice cloning scams.
Index analysis
News outlets, including CNN, warn these types of scams have the potential to impact millions of people. Voice cloning raises serious privacy and security concerns as technology makes it easier for criminals to invade personal spaces.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.