A structured, citable database of verified AI voice cloning and impersonation scam incidents. Every record is backed by published news reporting and links to our full analysis and the original source.
Last updated September 29, 2026
The loss total sums only incidents where the source disclosed a specific US-dollar amount. 5 incidents have a disclosed amount in another or unconfirmed currency, shown per record but never converted or summed. For 11 incidents the source reporting did not quantify or disclose the loss, so the total understates real losses. 2 incidents involved no monetary loss.
Beyond verified incidents
These patterns are supported by published reporting, including articles that may not qualify as verified incident records. They are not included in the incident totals above.
A caller claims to be a grandchild in an emergency and pressures a grandparent to send money before checking with family. A cloned voice is possible but must be established by the reporting.
A caller falsely claims a loved one has been kidnapped and demands an immediate ransom while discouraging verification.
A scammer poses as a relative to make a request for money or sensitive information sound like it came from someone the recipient knows.
Someone poses as a company leader or trusted business contact to push an urgent payment, account change or disclosure past normal approval checks.
A scammer poses as a real estate or closing contact to redirect funds during a time-sensitive transaction.
A scammer poses as an FBI, IC3 or other recovery agent to re-scam someone who has already reported a fraud, often asking for money or personal information. Reported use of AI does not by itself prove a named agent's voice was cloned.
WIS10 reports spoofed FBI numbers and AI used to sound believable; it does not establish cloning a specific agent's voice.
A scammer poses as law enforcement or a court officer, claims a missed jury summons or warrant, and demands payment or information to avoid arrest.
Agents can read these patterns and verified incidents through our MCP setup guide. The remote MCP connection address is https://trustonion.io/mcp (use an MCP client, not a JSON feed).
Beyond the database
Read the evidence behind individual incidents, then take the next useful step at home.
Case study · Updated September 29, 2026
Fraudsters cloned the CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo's voice to trick Fideuram Chairman Paolo Molesini into authorizing €95 million in wire transfers to China and Hong Kong.
Read the case
Case study · Updated September 28, 2026
A Michigan couple lost $66,000 after scammers used suspected AI voice cloning to impersonate trusted parties during a home purchase closing. Full case study.
Read the casePractical reporting ·
Fraudsters cloned a CEO's voice and moved €95 million from Fideuram. Here's how the attack worked and what finance teams must do differently.
Practical reporting ·
Criminals are impersonating FBI complaint center agents to steal from scam victims again. Here's how the scheme works and how to protect yourself.
Practical reporting ·
AI voice cloning scams now require just seconds of audio from social media. The FTC warns families they can no longer trust their ears. Here's what actually works.
| Incident | Date | Location | Attack | Loss | Outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Voice Clone and Fake WhatsApp Message Cost Italian Bank €95 Million | September 2026 | Unknown | Ai Phone Call | €95 million transferred; approximately €53 million recovered; roughly €36 million unrecovered | Successful Fraud | TechSpot |
| Michigan Couple Loses $66,000 in Real Estate Voice-Cloning Scam | September 2026 | Unknown | Voice Cloning | $66,000 | Successful Fraud | CNN |
| AI Voice Clone Stole $66,000 in Closing Funds from West Michigan Couple | September 2026 | West Michigan, Michigan, United States | Voice Cloning | $66,000 | Successful Fraud | Currently.com |
| Scotch Plains Resident Loses $3,000+ in Family Impersonation Scam | September 2026 | Scotch Plains, New Jersey, United States | Voice Cloning | $3,100 | Successful Fraud | TAPinto |
| Bay Area Mom Loses $5,400 in AI Voice Clone Kidnapping Hoax | May 2026 | Martinez, California, United States | Voice Cloning | $5,400 | Successful Fraud | Bitdefender |
| AI Voice Clone Mimics Sister in Kidnapping Ransom Scam | 2026 | Unknown | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Prevented | TechCrunch |
| AI Voice Clone Fools Canadian Mother in Family Emergency Scam | July 2026 | Unknown | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Prevented | Yahoo! Finance Canada |
| AI Voice Clone Fakes Daughter's Kidnapping, Pressures Mother for $3,270 | January 2026 | Missouri, United States | Voice Cloning | $3,270 | Prevented | InvestigateTV |
| AI Voice Clone of Daughter Used in Fake Kidnapping Ransom Call | 2026 | Unknown | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Resolved | AZ Family |
| AI Voice Clone Fakes Kidnapping to Demand $2,500 Ransom | February 2026 | Unknown | Voice Cloning | None | Resolved | CBS News |
| AI Voice Cloning Scams Cost Georgia Couple $800,000 | July 2026 | Cobb County, Georgia, United States | Voice Cloning | $800,000 | Successful Fraud | CBS News |
| Toronto Man Charged After $7,500 Grandparent Scam Targeting Elderly Woman | August 2026 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Voice Cloning | $7,500 | Resolved | CTV News |
| AI Voice Clone of Her Brother Costs Ontario Woman $12,000 | August 2026 | Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada | Voice Cloning | $12,000+ | Successful Fraud | CP24 |
| AI Voice Clone Mimics Teen's Voice in $7,500 Ransom Hoax | August 2026 | Unknown | Voice Cloning | None | Resolved | BBC |
| AI Voice Clone Scam Costs California Mother Thousands | May 2026 | Unknown | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Successful Fraud | CNN |
| AI Voice Clone Convinced California Mom Her Daughter Was Kidnapped | May 2026 | Martinez, California, United States | Voice Cloning | $5,000 | Successful Fraud | CNN |
| Capillary Tech Loses €3 Million in Deepfake Banking Fraud | July 2026 | Bengaluru, India | Voice Cloning | €3 million (₹32.7 crore) | Resolved | Moneycontrol |
| AI-Powered Farm Equipment Scams Target Georgia Farmers | July 2026 | Georgia, United States | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Successful Fraud | WTOC |
| AI-Powered 'Hi Mum' Scam Targets Australian Families | July 2026 | Australia | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Successful Fraud | The Daily Telegraph |
| Houston Man Loses $15,000 After AI Clones His Son's Voice | June 2026 | Houston, Texas, United States | Voice Cloning | $15,000 | Successful Fraud | Yahoo (via FOX 26 Houston) |
| Bay Area Mom Loses $5,400 in AI Voice Cloning Fake Kidnapping Scam | May 2026 | Bay Area, California, United States | Voice Cloning | $5,400 | Successful Fraud | ABC7 News (KGO San Francisco) |
| Ireland's 'Hi Mam, Hi Dad' Text Scam Targets Parents via Fake Child Messages | April 2026 | Ireland | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Ongoing | TechBuzz Ireland |
| Missouri Mom Loses Thousands to AI Voice Clone Kidnapping Hoax | February 2026 | Missouri, United States | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Successful Fraud | WDBJ7 |
| AI Voice Clone Used in Fake Kidnapping Ransom Call in Lawrence, Kansas | October 2025 | Unknown | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Prevented | City of Lawrence, Kansas (.gov) |
| AI Scammers Clone Daughter's Voice to Extort Vancouver Man | 2024 | Vancouver, Washington, United States | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Prevented | Google Alerts |
| Texas Grandfather Loses $1,000 to AI Voice Clone of Grandson | May 2023 | Texas, United States | Voice Cloning | $1,000 | Successful Fraud | ABC News / Good Morning America |
| AI Voice Cloning Scams Fool Families With Fake Relatives | March 2023 | United States | Voice Cloning | Undisclosed | Successful Fraud | CBS News |
Voice Clone Scam Pulse is free to cite and reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Suggested citation:
Trust Onion, "Voice Clone Scam Pulse: AI Scam Incident Database," trustonion.io/voice-clone-scam-pulse (updated 2026-09-29).
Journalists: every record links to the original news source — please verify and credit primary reporting as well. See our methodology, inclusion rules, and corrections policy, or contact us to report an error.
