In a disturbing new cybercrime trend, a schoolteacher from Indore was defrauded of nearly ₹1 lakh after scammers used artificial intelligence to perfectly clone the voice of her cousin. Police believe this could be the first confirmed case of AI-driven voice fraud in Madhya Pradesh.
The victim, Smita, received a call on the night of January 6 from a number similar to her cousin’s. The caller, sounding exactly like her relative in tone and manner, claimed a friend had suffered a heart attack and urgently needed money for surgery. Convinced by the familiar voice, Smita transferred ₹97,500 via QR codes sent to her phone. Only after the number was blocked and she spoke to her real cousin the next morning did she realize she had been deceived.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya stated that the precise vocal mimicry strongly indicates the use of AI-based voice modulation technology. “The voice was exactly like her cousin’s,” he confirmed.
This sophisticated scam highlights a growing threat as fraudsters exploit advancing technology. It also underscores a grim reality: recovery of stolen funds remains exceedingly rare. According to state data, from May 2021 to July 2025, over ₹1,054 crore was lost to cyber fraud in Madhya Pradesh, but only 0.18% (₹1.94 crore) was returned to victims. During this period, while ₹105 crore was temporarily frozen, only a fraction was successfully recovered.
The case adds to the escalating wave of digital crime, where social media platforms have become the primary source of offenses—accounting for 37% to 53% of cases in recent years through impersonation, sextortion, and blackmail.
Authorities urge the public to exercise extreme caution. Always verify urgent financial requests through a separate, known communication channel, even if the caller’s voice seems unmistakably genuine.
