Pune, December 31: An IT professional in Pune fell victim to a cleverly executed scam where a fraudster used an online voice modulator to impersonate her brother. The caller, posing as her brother, claimed their mother was admitted to a hospital in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, and urgently needed financial assistance for treatment. Fueled by panic, the victim transferred Rs 6.7 lakh in two transactions, believing she was helping her ailing mother.

According to a report by the Times of India, the elaborate ruse began with a call on her instant messaging service, where the caller's identity appeared as her brother, and the voice convincingly matched. Initially transferring Rs 1 lakh, the victim received a red alert on her phone, prompting her to inquire further. Subsequently, a supposed hospital staffer, leveraging another phone number, pressured her to transfer an additional Rs 5.7 lakh for her mother's surgery. Realisation dawned when one of the victim's friends contacted her brother to inquire about the mother's health, only to discover he had made no such call. Online Fraud in Pune: Cyber Fraudsters Dupe Software Engineer of Rs 24 Lakh on Pretext of Earning Extra Income by Performing Online Tasks; Investigation Underway.

The woman promptly blocked the fraudulent phone numbers, and upon reporting the incident to the Pune cyber police, the case was referred to the Hadapsar police for further investigation and the filing of an FIR. The police have frozen two bank accounts linked to the fraud and initiated communication with banks and the messaging service to trace financial transactions and gather relevant details. This incident sheds light on the growing threat of voice impersonation through generative artificial intelligence (AI), emphasising the need for advanced cybersecurity measures. Cyber Fraud in Pune: Assistant Professor Places Multiple Orders on Amazon, Loses Rs 21 Lakh; Probe On.

According to cybersecurity experts, the rising use of generative AI poses a significant threat to individuals, with criminals employing advanced deep learning techniques for deception. Voice scams, twice as prevalent in India compared to other countries, highlight the urgency of robust cybersecurity solutions. The Data Security Council of India's recent report underscores the risks posed by AI-powered malware, emphasising the need for behaviour-based detection components in next-generation antivirus solutions to counter evolving cyber threats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2023 02:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).