AI voice cloning used to convince Lehi parent their child was kidnapped - KSL NewsRadio
A Lehi, Utah parent was targeted in a scam using AI voice cloning to mimic their child's voice and simulate a kidnapping, demanding money for their safe return.
- Incident date
- Feb 2024
- Target
- Lehi parent
A parent in Lehi, Utah, was recently targeted in a disturbing AI-enabled scam. Scammers used AI voice cloning to mimic the parent's child's voice, falsely claiming the child had been kidnapped and demanding money.
What happened
On February 13th, a Lehi parent received a phone call from someone claiming to have kidnapped their child. The parent heard screaming in the background that sounded like their child's voice. The suspect demanded money in exchange for the child's safe return. The parent went to the school and found their child was there, unharmed. Law enforcement is seeing an increase in such crimes, where criminals steal someone's likeness from social media and use AI to manipulate it. They advise parents who receive such calls to slow down, assess the situation, ask questions, and avoid making decisions based on fear.