Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): AI-based voice cloning frauds have again set their foot in the city, this time with a new modus operandi. The cyber crooks have begun targeting the parents of the children, whose data they allegedly obtain either from their schools or other educational hubs, and tell their parents that their child has been implicated in a rape case and is in dire need of money to set himself free.
Not only this, the crooks also generate the voices of the target person’s child by means of AI-apps, owing to which the target falls into their net and gives money to settle the matter. Six such incidents have been reported within a period of 20 days. Cyber wing officials, however, said that in two incidents, the parents were smart enough to verify their child’s identity and trace his whereabouts.
When they disconnected the crooks’ call, and called up their kid, he was found to be safe and sound. In the remaining cases, the petrified parents gave in to the crooks and ended up losing Rs 3 lakh. Such a case was reported in Jahangirabad on Wednesday, where a man received a call from a number traced in Uttar Pradesh.
The caller identified himself as a police official, and told the man that his son had been implicated in a rape case along with several of his accomplices. He even made the man hear the cries of his son over the call, which was generated through an AI voice cloning app.
The caller demanded Rs 50,000 to settle the dispute and the man transferred the amount. Half an hour later, when the victim’s son came home and was pulled up by his father, he told him he was safe and was not implicated in any such case. Realising that he had been duped, the victim then reported the case to the cyber cops.
The officials said that such parents, who are in regular touch with their kids and are aware of their location, as well as their movement, did not fall prey to the fraud.
Data leaks from educational institutes a persistent issue: ACP (Cyber)
Speaking to Free Press, assistant commissioner of police (cyber crime), Sujeet Tiwari, said that the crooks obtain the data of the children either from their schools, or other educational hubs such as coaching institutes, as well as several government-owned websites. Data leak is a persistent issue, owing to which the graph of cyber crime is increasing day-by-day, he added.
