AI Phone Scam Targets High-Profile Italian Business Leaders

ITItaly|

An advanced phone scam leveraging artificial intelligence has recently targeted prominent Italian business figures, including fashion designer Giorgio Armani and Prada chairman Patrizio Bertelli. The scammers used a cloned voice of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, claiming to seek financial assistance for freeing kidnapped Italian journalists in the Middle East, according to Italian prosecutors in Milan.

Reports indicate multiple victims, with one entrepreneur duped into transferring €1 million ($1.1 million) to a Hong Kong account, believing he would be reimbursed by the Bank of Italy. Crosetto revealed the scam through social media after being contacted by a victim who had fallen prey to the scheme. “It all seemed real,” said Massimo Moratti, a former Inter Milan owner, emphasizing the cunning nature of the scammers.

Legal complaints have since been filed by several victims, including members of the Beretta firearms family and the Aleotti family, who head the Menarini pharmaceutical firm. Defense Minister Crosetto noted this rising trend in AI-driven scams, revealing a growing vulnerability among high-profile individuals in Italy.

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