Bay Area mom out thousands after scammers use AI to mimic daughter's voice in fake kidnapping;…

A Bay Area woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars after fraudsters used AI to mimic her daughter's voice in a fake kidnapping incident. The incident underscores the growing threat of AI-enabled scams.

What happened

The victim received a call from an unknown number and was told that her daughter had been kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel. The caller played audio that sounded like the victim's daughter in distress, saying she was scared and loved her mom. The caller then issued a series of urgent commands, instructing the victim to withdraw and wire money. The victim wired $5,400 to Mexico. After arriving at a designated location for her daughter's release and not finding her, the victim contacted her daughter directly, who confirmed she was safe at work. Authorities say scammers are increasingly using AI to clone voices, often from social media or phone calls, and urged caution when faced with urgent requests involving money.