Woman Bilked Out of Thousands After Scammers Clone Daughter's Voice with AI
A mother in East Bay was scammed out of thousands after receiving a call from someone using AI to clone her daughter's voice. The caller claimed her daughter had been kidnapped and kept her on the line for hours, leading her to wire $5,400. Authorities warn that such AI voice-cloning scams are becoming more common and suggest families create verification codes for emergencies.
- ▪Deborah Del Mastro received a call from scammers claiming her daughter had been kidnapped.
- ▪The scammers used AI to clone her daughter's voice, making it sound like she was in distress.
- ▪Del Mastro wired approximately $5,400 before realizing her daughter was safe at work.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
26 May 2026 / SF News / Leanne Maxwell Local Woman Bilked Out of Thousands After Scammers Clone Daughter’s Voice With AI googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('sfist_regular'); }); An East Bay mother recently answered a call from an unknown number, which turned out to be scammers using AI and deepfake technology to sound like her daughter, whom they said had been kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel — part of a growing trend of scams.As ABC 7 reports, Deborah Del Mastro, of Martinez, received a call in May from a man claiming her 37-year-old daughter had been kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel after witnessing illegal activity. The caller then played what Del Mastro believed was her daughter screaming, crying, and pleading for help.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports.
Discussion
0 comments
1.jpg&w=800)
