Online fraud alerts in Romania / Hackers use various…

On August 28, 2026, authorities and utility providers in Romania issued urgent warnings regarding an increase in sophisticated online fraud tactics involving AI-powered voice cloning. These deceptive practices have targeted both private citizens and public figures, highlighting the growing threat of identity impersonation in digital communications.

What happened

The current wave of fraud utilizes advanced AI to mimic the voices of trusted individuals or institutions. Journalist Teodora Chiuș reported a near-victimization incident involving a voice clone of her sister, illustrating how attackers leverage personal relationships to create urgency. Similarly, Chief Commissioner Bogdan Ghebaur, a spokesperson for the Romanian Police, was directly targeted by a scammer who utilized a cloned version of his own voice.

Beyond voice synthesis, the fraud ecosystem has expanded to include institutional impersonation. E-ON Romania recently alerted customers that hackers are fraudulently using the company’s identity to distribute false overdue bills. These emails encourage recipients to click on malicious links under the guise of urgent account management. In other variations of these scams, attackers pose as police officers or bank employees, pressuring victims to transfer funds to prevent fictitious financial losses. These evolving methods, which also include older social engineering ploys like the 'grandson in distress' scheme, now frequently integrate AI to enhance the credibility of the deception. Authorities advise extreme caution, noting that messages and calls appearing authentic at first glance are often part of coordinated criminal efforts.