© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
In March, a 72-year-old homemaker in Hyderabad lost Rs 1.97 lakh to a new kind of fraud—one powered by AI voice cloning.
It began with a WhatsApp message that appeared to come from her sister-in-law in New Jersey, urgently asking for money. When she called the number to confirm, the voice on the other end sounded familiar and replied “Yes”. Convinced, she transferred the money via Google Pay. Only later did she realise she had been duped.
Investigators believe fraudsters used AI-generated voice technology to mimic her relative, making the scam nearly impossible to detect. The Hyderabad cybercrime unit is now tracing the digital trail.
Police warn that such scams are rising sharply and urge citizens to double-check urgent money requests, even if it is from known contacts. Suggested precautions include verifying identities with video calls, enabling WhatsApp’s two-factor authentication, and reporting suspicious activity immediately.
A McAfee study earlier this year revealed that 83 per cent of Indian victims of AI voice scams reported monetary losses, with nearly half (48 per cent) losing over Rs 50,000. The report also found:
📌69 per cent of Indians struggle to distinguish between a human and AI-generated voice.
📌47 per cent of Indian adults have either been a victim of, or know someone who has faced, an AI voice scam—nearly double the global average of 25 per cent.
The most common AI scams
Experts outline the following as the most widespread AI-driven frauds:
🎯AI voice cloning scams: Voices lifted from social media are cloned to send emotional pleas for money via WhatsApp, or to impersonate hiring managers.
🎯OTP scams: Using AI scraping tools, criminals trick users into revealing OTPs through call-merging, phishing, or SIM swaps.
🎯Email scams: AI-powered spear phishing creates highly personalised emails, often reinforced with deepfake video calls.
🎯Digital arrest scams: Criminals impersonate police or agencies, using AI voices and fake video backdrops to intimidate victims into transferring funds.
🎯Loan app scams: Fake apps steal contacts and photos, then use AI-generated threats and doctored images for extortion.
🎯Fake investment platforms: Fraudulent trading sites use fake dashboards and AI chatbots to delay withdrawals.
🎯Romance and deepfake scams: AI-generated profiles and videos lure victims into sending money or investing.
🎯Deepfake extortion: Explicit videos are fabricated using victims’ photos, followed by blackmail threats.
“AI-based scams in India have surged in 2025, exploiting WhatsApp, SMS, and phone calls,” said Imteyaz Ansari, Founder and CEO, Azmarq Technologies. “This spike is an indicator of the enhanced sophistication of cyberattacks, especially AI-driven fraud, OTP scams, phishing, voice cloning, and deepfake impersonations.”
“These scams succeed because they exploit human psychology—fear, trust, and urgency,” said Neehar Pathare, MD, 63SATS Cybertech.
Amod Joshi, chief technology strategist, Turinton, explained: “Fraudsters gather publicly available data, clone voices, or create deepfake videos, then insert them into emails, calls, or fake video conferences. The requests—often for money or sensitive information—feel urgent and authentic, making them highly effective.”
Kaushal Beda, director, Pelorus Technologies, cautioned: “AI is not behind every scam, but it is being layered onto traditional frauds to make them more believable and harder to detect. The biggest threats today come from voice cloning, romance scams, and deepfake extortion.”
Experts recommend these steps to stay safe:
🔹Never share OTPs or login details, even if requests seem urgent.
🔹Verify identities through official channels or video calls.
🔹Pause, question, and double-check unusual requests before acting.
🔹Be cautious of too-good-to-be-true offers or unusual payment requests.
🔹Limit personal photos and information shared online.
🔹Enable two-factor authentication and use security apps such as CYBX by 63SATS Cybertech.
What else can be done using AI?
AI is being weaponized to fuel a wave of sophisticated scams, from fake celebrity endorsements and counterfeit shopping sites to digital arrest frauds. Businesses are increasingly falling victim to impersonation schemes, with executives’ voices and images cloned to approve fraudulent transactions. Even banks and government agencies are under attack, showing that these scams threaten not just finances but also public trust and security.
What to do if you are scammed
🔹Report immediately on cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
🔹Verify all notices on official portals before acting.
🔹Avoid unverified loan or trading apps.
🔹Document all evidence (screenshots, messages) to aid investigations.
“The best way to stay protected is to pause before responding, question before believing, and verify before acting,” stressed Pathare. “While technology evolves, human instinct and awareness remain the strongest armour.”
