📞 Florida AI Voice Cloning Scam Cons $15K from Retired Couple
- NewBits Media
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
A Hillsborough County woman became the victim of a frightening new scam using artificial intelligence: a Florida AI voice cloning scam that mimicked her daughter’s voice to extract thousands of dollars.
According to a report by NBC affiliate WFLA, the ordeal began when the woman received a call from what appeared to be her daughter’s phone number. On the line was a panicked, crying young woman who said she’d been in a car accident.
Inside the Florida AI Voice Cloning Scam
“There is nobody that could convince me that it wasn’t her,” the woman said. “I know my daughter’s cry.”
The scam intensified as a man claiming to be an attorney joined the call. He alleged that her daughter had hit a pregnant woman while texting and driving and demanded $15,000 in cash for bail. He warned the mother not to tell the bank what the money was for, claiming it could affect her daughter’s credit.
Shockingly, a driver was dispatched to the woman’s home to collect the cash in person.
Later, the scammers called again—this time claiming the unborn child had died and demanded an additional $30,000 to avoid a lawsuit. Fortunately, the family’s grandson intervened and contacted the daughter, who was perfectly fine and still at work.
“When I heard her voice, I broke down,” the woman said. “She was fine. She was still at work. My husband and I are recently retired. That money was our savings.”
Why the Florida AI Voice Cloning Scam Matters
The family believes the scammers used AI tools to clone their daughter’s voice by extracting samples from social media videos—a growing tactic in synthetic identity fraud. A report has been filed with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and local authorities are warning others to stay vigilant.
This Florida AI voice cloning scam highlights a disturbing new frontier in cybercrime: weaponizing AI-generated voices to emotionally manipulate victims. As generative AI becomes more accessible, experts warn that incidents like this may become more common—especially when combined with personal data scraped from social platforms.
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