Mumbai, April 6: A 58-year-old professor from NMIMS College, S S Sarkar, fell victim to a sophisticated fraud scheme involving Artificial Intelligence (AI), losing Rs 1 lakh last Tuesday. Sarkar received a call from an individual posing as ‘Inspector Vijaykumar’ from Mumbai police, who falsely claimed that her son was detained and demanded immediate money transfer to avoid his imprisonment.

TOI reported that the fraudster had collected Sarkar’s profile and family details from social media using AI technology. Instead of cloning her son’s voice for blackmail, the fraudster used his personal details gathered through AI. Mumbai: Borivali-Based CA Arrested for 'Rs 3,000-Crore Scam Involving Corporate House' Post on X, Uploading Company's Bank Statement.

Cyber experts warn that such AI-involved frauds are increasing, urging the public to remain vigilant against scamsters exploiting emotions and urgency. Mumbai Child Adoption Fraud: Man Dupes Childless Nurse of Rs 9 Lakh Under Pretext of Helping Her Adopt Baby, Arrested.

Officers from the cyber wing of the Juhu police are investigating Sarkar’s case, which involves a new modus operandi. The team has contacted the two banks to block the accounts where Rs 1 lakh was transferred in four transactions.

In her complaint, Sarkar stated: “I received a call from a person who identified himself as a Mumbai police inspector and said he was arresting my son in a case. The person later asked me to transfer Rs 1 lakh. I panicked and immediately tried to call my son, but he did not respond.” She realized she had been duped when her son called her minutes after she transferred the money to two different bank accounts.

Juhu police senior inspector Sunil Yadav advised that while phone calls are unlikely to be a direct source of hacking, text messages can contain malware and can be used to launch phishing attacks.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2024 11:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).