A Hillsborough County woman lost over ₹12.5 lakh ($15,000) in an elaborate deepfake scam after criminals cloned her daughter’s voice to stage a fake emergency call involving a car crash and arrest. The case underscores the rising threat of AI-powered voice fraud, with similar incidents reported across the United States.
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Desperate Call, Real Money Lost
On July 12, Sharon, a Florida resident, received a frantic phone call. The voice — crying and terrified — claimed to be her daughter April, saying she had been arrested after an accident that injured a pregnant woman. Moments later, a man posing as a lawyer demanded ₹12.5 lakh ($15,000) for bail, warning Sharon not to inform the bank or anyone else, claiming it could hurt her daughter’s credit.
Believing her daughter’s voice to be genuine, Sharon followed the instructions, withdrew the money, and handed it to a man who arrived at her home in a black Chevy Tahoe to collect the cash. Hours later, another call came, claiming the unborn child of the injured woman had died. The caller then demanded an additional ₹25 lakh ($30,000), stating that the victim’s family would not sue if the amount was paid.
It was only when Sharon’s nephew intervened and contacted the real April, who had been at work all day, that they realised the entire story was a sophisticated scam.
Voice Cloning Scams on the Rise
The incident follows a similar case involving the Trapp family in California, where scammers used AI to mimic a son’s voice in an identical setup, a crash, an injured pregnant woman, ₹12.5 lakh ($15,000) bail, and urgent cash drop-off.
These cases highlight how easily criminals can clone voices using a small audio sample, such as a social media video or voicemail. The scammers often assume multiple roles, police, lawyers, or relatives, to create a convincing narrative and instil panic.
Experts recommend establishing family passwords, limiting the online sharing of voice or video content, and maintaining direct contact in such emergencies. Authorities also advise the use of scam detection tools and staying updated on evolving fraud tactics.
The Florida family has since launched a crowdfunding campaign to recover their losses, marking yet another emotional and financial blow in the rising wave of deepfake-enabled cybercrimes.