AI voice-cloning used in matrimonial scam; man arrested…

In August 2026, a local doctor and his father were defrauded of ₹11.8 lakh after falling victim to a sophisticated matrimonial scam orchestrated by a 26-year-old serial fraudster. The perpetrator utilized AI voice-cloning technology to facilitate a multi-layered deception that exploited the trust of the victims.

What happened

The suspect, identified as Sanket Sachin Chavan, created a fake profile on a matrimonial website under the name Dr. Sayali Patil, using stolen images from Instagram to pose as a Mumbai-based medical practitioner. To maintain the charade, Chavan employed AI voice-cloning technology to impersonate four distinct individuals during phone calls: Dr. Sayali Patil, her purported brothers Lokesh and Manmat Desale, and a retired uncle. These personas claimed to have connections to prominent doctors in Nashik to build credibility with the victims.

Beyond digital impersonation, the fraud involved physical interaction. Chavan posed in-person as the character Manmat Desale to collect cash directly from the victims. He also obtained the victim's ATM card to fund personal expenses and online shopping. Following a formal complaint filed on August 22, Ambad police utilized technical analysis to track and arrest Chavan. Authorities discovered that the suspect is a habitual offender who had previously targeted other professionals, including engineers and non-resident Indians, across multiple regions including Mumbai, Latur, and Nashik. Chavan has been remanded to police custody as investigations into the full extent of his criminal activities continue under the provisions of the BNS and the Information Technology Act.