Khargone (Madhya Pradesh): A petrol pump owner in Khargone fell victim to an AI-generated voice fraud, losing Rs 50,000. The cheating involved a caller mimicking his daughter's voice in Indore and creating a false story of an urgent need for financial help because she and her friends were arrested by the CBI. The imposters tricked him into paying the money to save the daughter from the case.
The victim, Shyam Bhandari, owner of the Bhandari petrol pump, felt upset when he got the call supposedly about his daughter Namami, who studies in Indore. Feeling trapped and scared, Bhandari didn't know what to do. Although he didn't truly believe them at first, the situation worsened when Namami didn’t attend his call.
He sent the money as the criminals asked him for online payment through someone else he trusted. But, in the middle of all the strong feelings, a little feeling of uncertainty starts to grow, making Bhandari want to check if what the callers said was true. Sending a family member to his daughter’s hostel in Indore, Bhandari tried to find out what was going on. When the relatives reached there, they found Namami safe and fine. But, by that time he lost the money.
Namami's mother, Mamta Bhandari, said that when the criminals called, they heard a voice saying, 'Save me' which was similar to their daughter's voice. They also heard their daughter screaming. This scared them and they were unable to understand anything. They could also hear the sound of police sirens. The criminal had made a WhatsApp call on Bhandari's mobile phone and it continued for two and a half hours. Khargone SP Dharamraj Meena said that this case was reported in Khargone.
The Crime Branch in Indore is currently investigating the case. To avoid falling prey to such fraudulent activities, he advised people to transfer money only after conducting a thorough investigation. In case of any confusion, individuals should immediately seek assistance from the local police or cybercrime cell. Reportedly, AI voice scams use technology to mimic someone's voice, often targeting victims by posing as family, friends or even customer service reps. They aim to trick people into sharing personal info or sending money.
