Woman in Romania defrauded using AI-generated fake documents
A 36-year-old woman in Romania was defrauded by individuals who used AI-generated fake documents to impersonate bank and police officials and convince her to transfer her life savings. Police recovered the full amount of approximately 69,000 lei, and the investigation into the fraud continues.
What happened
A 36-year-old woman from Cugir, Romania was contacted by unknown persons who claimed to be representatives of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) and the Romanian Police. To gain her trust, the fraudsters sent her photographs of identification documents and other documents created using artificial intelligence.
Convinced by the AI-generated documents, the woman transferred her savings—68,989 lei (approximately 70,000 lei)—to a bank account indicated by the callers. Shortly after, she realized she had been defrauded and contacted the Cugir Police.
Reported impact
The woman lost approximately 68,989 lei from her life savings. The funds were later blocked and fully recovered through police action.
Governance controls
After the woman reported the fraud, Agent Principal de Poliție Bota Cătălin Mihai from the Criminal Investigation Department worked under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office at the Alba Iulia Courthouse to block the transferred sum and recover the full amount. The investigation into the fraud offence continues to identify the perpetrators.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.