Italy's elite scammed by AI voice forgery in ransom plot
Italian figures from the worlds of business, finance, and fashion have fallen victim to a fraud in which the voice of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto was forged using artificial intelligence.
As reported by the Polish Press Agency, the fraudsters, impersonating the minister, requested funds for the supposed release of kidnapped journalists in the Middle East. One entrepreneur transferred approximately £870,000 to the criminals' account.
Minister Guido Crosetto informed the Ansa agency that he had filed a criminal complaint related to the unlawful use of his name and the forgery of his voice. He learned about the fraud when "a businessman friend called him with information that the minister's secretary had asked his assistant for his phone number." In the following days, he received similar messages about calls from individuals claiming to be his colleagues from the Ministry of Defence.
The victims of the fraud filed complaints with the prosecutor's office in Milan, which initiated an investigation into the matter. Those who received calls from the criminals asking for money and arguing that it was "a very urgent matter concerning national security" also contacted the authorities.
The criminals claimed that the funds were needed to pay a ransom for the release of journalists supposedly kidnapped in Iran, Syria, and other countries. In reality, such reporters do not exist. The group of fraudsters provided numbers of foreign bank accounts, including in Hong Kong, to which the money was to be transferred.
Investigation ongoing
Prominent Italian entrepreneurs and industrialists, including arms manufacturers and figures from the fashion world such as designer Giorgio Armani and Patrizio Bertelli — the husband of Miuccia Prada, owner of a fashion empire, were targeted by the ring. Milan investigators activated international cooperation channels to trace the flow of money, including to accounts in tax havens.
The investigation into the fraud continues. This event highlights the growing threats associated with the use of artificial intelligence in crime and the need to increase vigilance in the face of new methods of extorting money.
