One evening, 65-year-old Radha Devi, a resident of Delhi, received a distressing phone call that left her shaken. The voice on the other end sounded exactly like her daughter’s. Through sobs, the caller cried, “Mom, I’m in trouble… I’ve been kidnapped… Tell Papa to send money, otherwise…"
Panicked and overwhelmed, Radha did not pause to verify. Believing her daughter’s life was at risk, she immediately transferred Rs 2 lakh through UPI.
Hours later, she discovered her daughter was safe at home. The call had been a scam.
Fraudsters had usedartificial intelligence (AI)to clone her daughter’s voice, reportedly using just a few seconds of audio available on social media. What felt like a personal nightmare is becoming a disturbing reality across India, as AI voice cloning scams rapidly spread and criminals impersonate family members to emotionally blackmail victims.
AI voice cloningis a technology that can replicate a person’s voice with startling accuracy. Scammers often extract audio clips from videos posted on platforms like Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp. With advanced tools, a voice can be copied within 3-5 seconds.
Using unknown numbers, fraudsters then call targets and spin urgent stories of accidents, kidnappings or arrests, pushing families to send money immediately. Cybercrime experts warn that suchAI-enabled fraudcould rise by nearly 40% in 2026.
Women and the elderly are among the most frequent targets, as scammers exploit emotional vulnerability. International data reflects the growing scale of the threat. In the United States, people aged 60 and above reportedly lost $4.9 billion to similar scams in 2024.
Incidents involving elderly women have also been reported globally, including a case in Florida where a mother lost $15,000 after hearing what she believed was her daughter’s voice. In another case from Arizona, a woman was convinced her daughter had been kidnapped, only to later learn it was an AI-generated imitation.
Authorities, including the FBI, have warned that the “believability" of AI-driven scams has increased significantly, making them harder to detect. As a result, cyber experts stress the need for greater caution and awareness, particularly among women and senior citizens who may be more likely to respond emotionally in moments of panic.
Safety guide for women and the elderly:
Source: Tech News in news18.com, Tech Latest News, Tech News
