AI impersonation scams Canadian couple of USD 21,000

What happened

The scammers used AI technology to clone the voice of Benjamin Perkins, the son of the couple,  which had been available online through videos he posted on platforms like YouTube.

According to the Washington Post, a "lawyer" had allegedly put Benjamin on the line to underline the gravity and urgency of the situation. 

Perkins' synthetic voice was sufficiently close to his real voice that his parents believed the call and sent the money to the scammer using Bitcoin. The couple only realised they had been scammed after Perkin called later that evening. 

Perkin told the the Post that he didn't know how the scammer discovered his voice, though he had posted videos about snowmobiling on YouTube.

Why it happened

It is likely the Canadian couple were targeted due their age and their son's extensive online footprint, which could easily be exploited using AI technologies for malicious purposes.