A familiar voice on the line can mask a stranger’s hand, turning trust into a trap in the blink of a call.
Indore Woman Falls Victim to AI Voice Cloning Scam
In what is believed to be Madhya Pradesh’s first cyber fraud case involving AI-driven voice cloning, a middle-aged woman from Indore lost her entire savings of Rs 97,500 after being deceived by a fraudster who replicated the voice of her cousin, a Uttar Pradesh police personnel. The victim, Smita Sinha (name changed), last spoke to her cousin, who works with the Uttar Pradesh Police emergency dial service, around two years ago.
On the night of January 6, while having dinner with her husband and teenage daughter, Smita received a call from an unknown number resembling her cousin’s. The caller sounded exactly like him and claimed that a close friend had been admitted to a prominent private hospital in Indore for urgent cardiac surgery. The fraudster said he could not transfer the money directly to the hospital and asked Smita to forward the funds to the “hospital doctor’s number,” sending her a QR code for the transaction.
Notably, one QR code was registered under the name “Hema,” the same as a doctor at the hospital, lending credibility to the story. “As he spoke to me, I confirmed receiving message alerts showing the money had been credited to my digital payment account. My teenage daughter, who is more familiar with digital transactions, transferred a total of Rs 97,500 to the QR code in four transactions,” Smita said.
AI-Driven Voice Cloning Fraud Rocks Indore, Investigations Underway
After the call ended, she checked her account and discovered that none of the money had actually been credited. Shocked, Smita contacted her cousin the next day, who denied making the call. “The phone number from which the call, messages and QR codes were sent has remained switched off since the fraud,” Smita’s husband added.
The incident was reported to Indore’s Lasudia police station on January 7. A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 and the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2000. Investigations are ongoing. According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Rajesh Dandotiya, preliminary findings suggest AI-based voice modulation was used. “This appears to be the first case of AI-driven voice cloning fraud not only in Indore but possibly in the entire state,” said sources from the Madhya Pradesh Police cybercrime cell.
Smita’s husband recalled that three months earlier, she had received a call inquiring about her play school, which was abruptly disconnected when he intervened, raising questions about a possible link to the January 6 fraud.
In the age of digital echoes, even a familiar voice can become a ghost, carrying deception and emptying trust with every word.
Summary
An Indore woman lost Rs 97,500 in Madhya Pradesh’s first AI-driven voice cloning scam after a fraudster impersonated her cousin, claiming a friend needed urgent cardiac surgery. She transferred money via QR codes that appeared legitimate. Police are investigating, noting AI voice modulation and prior suspicious calls, highlighting the growing risks of cyber fraud using advanced technology.
