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Incident 927: Fraudsters Allegedly Use AI-Generated Voice of Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto to Scam Business Leaders

Description: In February 2025, scammers allegedly used AI voice cloning to impersonate Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, calling top business leaders and reportedly claiming to need funds to free kidnapped journalists. Massimo Moratti was allegedly the only confirmed victim to send nearly €1M, wiring it to accounts in the Netherlands and Hong Kong before realizing the fraud. The scam involved spoofed government numbers, deepfake audio, and international money laundering networks. Police reportedly froze the funds.
Editor Notes: Massimo Moratti is reportedly the only confirmed victim to have sent money in the scam. However, multiple high-profile business figures were allegedly targeted, and their names are included for context.

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Alleged: Unknown voice cloning technology developer and Unknown deepfake technology developer developed an AI system deployed by Unknown scammers posing as Guido Crosetto and scammers, which harmed Patrizio Bertelli , Massimo Moratti , Marco Tronchetti Provera , Italian business leaders , Guido Crosetto , Giorgio Armani , EssilorLuxottica , Esselunga , Del Vecchio family , Caprotti family , Caltagirone family , Beretta family and Aleotti family.
Alleged implicated AI systems: Unknown voice cloning technology and Unknown deepfake app

Incident Stats

Incident ID
927
Report Count
23
Incident Date
2025-02-04
Editors
Daniel Atherton

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

Incident Occurrence+21
Moratti defrauded by fake Crosetto, the perfect trap for the oilman betrayed by generosity
Next-Gen Phishing: The Rise of AI Vishing Scams
Moratti defrauded by fake Crosetto, the perfect trap for the oilman betrayed by generosity

Moratti defrauded by fake Crosetto, the perfect trap for the oilman betrayed by generosity

milano.repubblica.it

Truffa del falso Crosetto, dopo Moratti altri big denunciano: “Anche noi vittime del finto ministro”

Truffa del falso Crosetto, dopo Moratti altri big denunciano: “Anche noi vittime del finto ministro”

milano.repubblica.it

The Italian elite is in the crosshairs of fraudsters using AI to impersonate voices

The Italian elite is in the crosshairs of fraudsters using AI to impersonate voices

larepublica.co

Italian tycoons attacked by fake defence minister in alleged AI scam

Italian tycoons attacked by fake defence minister in alleged AI scam

esdelatino.com

Italian tycoons targeted by fake defence minister in alleged AI fraud

Italian tycoons targeted by fake defence minister in alleged AI fraud

hoy.com.ni

Thus Rai risked being defrauded by a fake Minister of Economy Tria

Thus Rai risked being defrauded by a fake Minister of Economy Tria

repubblica.it

Scam against Italian entrepreneurs: Crosetto’s Minister’s voice cloned with AI

Scam against Italian entrepreneurs: Crosetto’s Minister’s voice cloned with AI

bacciardipartners.it

AI simulates Italian Defense Minister's voice to scam big business

AI simulates Italian Defense Minister's voice to scam big business

lavozdegalicia.es

Scam in Italy: Fake Minister of Defense asks businessmen for funds. (17:40)

Scam in Italy: Fake Minister of Defense asks businessmen for funds. (17:40)

eldiario.net

Artificial Intelligence used to simulate a minister's voice and defraud Italian businessmen

Artificial Intelligence used to simulate a minister's voice and defraud Italian businessmen

elnortedecastilla.es

Massive scam in Italy, in the name of the Minister of Defense. Among those targeted, Giorgio Armani and the former owner of Inter Milan

Massive scam in Italy, in the name of the Minister of Defense. Among those targeted, Giorgio Armani and the former owner of Inter Milan

unimedia.info

AI phone scam targets Italian business leaders including Giorgio Armani

AI phone scam targets Italian business leaders including Giorgio Armani

theguardian.com

False Crosetto, scams like this can hit anyone: here's how to defend yourself

False Crosetto, scams like this can hit anyone: here's how to defend yourself

repubblica.it

Fake Crosetto scam, from Holland to Hong Kong, the gang's treasure hunt abroad

Fake Crosetto scam, from Holland to Hong Kong, the gang's treasure hunt abroad

milano.repubblica.it

Falso Crosetto, scherno del ricco. Qui Quo Qua tentati dal potere

Falso Crosetto, scherno del ricco. Qui Quo Qua tentati dal potere

repubblica.it

Giorgio Armani and Italian businessmen, defrauded on behalf of the Minister of Defense

Giorgio Armani and Italian businessmen, defrauded on behalf of the Minister of Defense

libremercado.com

Giorgio Armani and other Italian businessmen, victims of a scam that simulated the voice of the first Minister of Defense by AI

Giorgio Armani and other Italian businessmen, victims of a scam that simulated the voice of the first Minister of Defense by AI

larazon.es

Italian Defense Minister AI-clone scammers to target business elite - EDL World News

Italian Defense Minister AI-clone scammers to target business elite - EDL World News

esdelatino.com

Designer Giorgio Armani and Prada fashion house president Patrizio Bertelli targeted in AI-based scam

Designer Giorgio Armani and Prada fashion house president Patrizio Bertelli targeted in AI-based scam

playtech.ro

Italian Defense Minister Reveals Giorgio Armani and Other Prominent Businessmen Targeted in Complex Scam

Italian Defense Minister Reveals Giorgio Armani and Other Prominent Businessmen Targeted in Complex Scam

hotnews.ro

Italian police freeze cash from AI-voice scam that targeted business leaders

Italian police freeze cash from AI-voice scam that targeted business leaders

reuters.com

The new online scam that was about to take down Giorgio Armani. The criminals used an AI-generated voice

The new online scam that was about to take down Giorgio Armani. The criminals used an AI-generated voice

dcnews.ro

Next-Gen Phishing: The Rise of AI Vishing Scams

Next-Gen Phishing: The Rise of AI Vishing Scams

unite.ai

Moratti defrauded by fake Crosetto, the perfect trap for the oilman betrayed by generosity
milano.repubblica.it · 2025
AI Translated

What an oilman from an oil dynasty had to do with a doctor from Sesto San Giovanni who later became a war surgeon in Afghanistan and other wars around the world, Massimo Moratti himself explained, remembering his "perfect" friend who had ju…

Truffa del falso Crosetto, dopo Moratti altri big denunciano: “Anche noi vittime del finto ministro”
milano.repubblica.it · 2025

Almeno dieci grandi imprenditori contattati. Tre denunce. Due bonifici andati a buon fine, entrambi legati al nome dello storico presidente dell'Inter Massimo Moratti. Si allarga l'inchiesta sulla banda che spacciandosi per il ministro dell…

The Italian elite is in the crosshairs of fraudsters using AI to impersonate voices
larepublica.co · 2025
AI Translated

Scammers used an artificial intelligence voice tool to impersonate Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and his staff in an attempt to persuade some of the country’s top businessmen to transfer money abroad.

Prada SpA co-CEO Patrizio Ber…

Italian tycoons attacked by fake defence minister in alleged AI scam
esdelatino.com · 2025
AI Translated

Italy's business elite has been swept up in a scam that used an intelligence-generated artificial voice imitating Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto to ask tycoons to wire millions to offshore bank accounts to help pay ransoms to Itali…

Italian tycoons targeted by fake defence minister in alleged AI fraud
hoy.com.ni · 2025
AI Translated

Unlock Editor's Digestion for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Italy's business elite has been rocked by a scam that used an artificial intelligence-generated voice imitating Ital…

Thus Rai risked being defrauded by a fake Minister of Economy Tria
repubblica.it · 2025
AI Translated

Today the Minister of Defense Crosetto, yesterday (2019) the Minister of Economy Tria. The masters of deception are always one step ahead and those who in the past weeks set up a scam worth millions of euros involving excellent names -- fro…

Scam against Italian entrepreneurs: Crosetto’s Minister’s voice cloned with AI
bacciardipartners.it · 2025

The latest news is the case of a scam that recently targeted some of Italy's best-known entrepreneurs and professionals, using the name of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto. The scammers, probably using advanced technologies such as artificia…

AI simulates Italian Defense Minister's voice to scam big business
lavozdegalicia.es · 2025
AI Translated

Some of Italy's biggest businessmen have been victims of an attempted fraud by a group of criminals who used an artificial intelligence (AI) program to simulate the voice of the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto. Their goal was to ask the…

Scam in Italy: Fake Minister of Defense asks businessmen for funds. (17:40)
eldiario.net · 2025
AI Translated

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has alerted the public to a scam in which imposters use artificial intelligence to clone his voice and solicit funds from wealthy businessmen. Scammers impersonate Crosetto and claim to need urgent fu…

Artificial Intelligence used to simulate a minister's voice and defraud Italian businessmen
elnortedecastilla.es · 2025
AI Translated

Some of Italy's biggest businessmen have been victims of an attempted fraud by a group of criminals who used an artificial intelligence program to simulate the voice of the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, and asked them to hand over la…

Massive scam in Italy, in the name of the Minister of Defense. Among those targeted, Giorgio Armani and the former owner of Inter Milan
unimedia.info · 2025
AI Translated

Guido Crosetto, Italy's defense minister, described the incident as a "serious scam" that targeted some of the country's most important tycoons, including fashion designer Giorgio Armani, former Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti, Prada co-f…

AI phone scam targets Italian business leaders including Giorgio Armani
theguardian.com · 2025

Some of Italy’s best-known business leaders, including the fashion designer Giorgio Armani and the Prada chair, Patrizio Bertelli, have been targeted by an artificial intelligence-based scam that involved the mimicking of the defence minist…

False Crosetto, scams like this can hit anyone: here's how to defend yourself
repubblica.it · 2025
AI Translated

The false "Crosetto" scam was a great job by professionals, but on a smaller scale something general can also affect a larger audience: anyone who happens to manage bank transfers in a company for example; not necessarily managers. It has a…

Fake Crosetto scam, from Holland to Hong Kong, the gang's treasure hunt abroad
milano.repubblica.it · 2025
AI Translated

The international scam. Professionals in Italy, possible insiders abroad, accounts from Holland to Hong Kong. Defined roles: the minister, the official, the general. But also the accountant who makes the loot from the telephone raids disapp…

Falso Crosetto, scherno del ricco. Qui Quo Qua tentati dal potere
repubblica.it · 2025

Caro Merlo, anche a me la "truffa del falso Crosetto" ha reso simpatico Massimo Moratti, truffato per generosità. Ma siamo in minoranza. Prevalgono frizzi e lazzi, lo scherno di quelli che non se la bevono. Gli italiani godono se il truffat…

Giorgio Armani and Italian businessmen, defrauded on behalf of the Minister of Defense
libremercado.com · 2025
AI Translated

Giorgio Armani and other Italian billionaire businessmen have been victims of an attempted fraud by a group of scammers who, through Artificial Intelligence, cloned the voice of Guido Crosettol, the Minister of Defense of Giorgia Meloni (ht…

Giorgio Armani and other Italian businessmen, victims of a scam that simulated the voice of the first Minister of Defense by AI
larazon.es · 2025
AI Translated

Giorgio Armani and other great Italian billionaire businessmen have been victims of an attempted fraud by a group of scammers who, through Artificial Intelligence, cloned the voice of the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, in order to don…

Italian Defense Minister AI-clone scammers to target business elite - EDL World News
esdelatino.com · 2025
AI Translated

Italian Minister Guido Crosetto has joked that fake copies of all masterpieces exist, after alerting the public to the scheme

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has declared his voice a “masterpiece,” after discovering that scammers us…

Designer Giorgio Armani and Prada fashion house president Patrizio Bertelli targeted in AI-based scam
playtech.ro · 2025
AI Translated

A sophisticated digital scam has targeted Italian business leaders, including designer Giorgio Armani and Prada chairman Patrizio Bertelli. The scammers used artificial intelligence to clone the voice of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, ask…

Italian Defense Minister Reveals Giorgio Armani and Other Prominent Businessmen Targeted in Complex Scam
hotnews.ro · 2025
AI Translated

Some of Italy’s most prominent business leaders, including fashion designer Giorgio Armani and Prada chairman Patrizio Bertelli, have been targeted by an artificial intelligence-based scam that involved impersonating the defense minister in…

Italian police freeze cash from AI-voice scam that targeted business leaders
reuters.com · 2025

MILAN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Italian police have found and frozen nearly one million euros ($1.04 million) that was wired to a foreign bank account by a leading businessman after he fell victim to an artificial intelligence scam, officials sai…

The new online scam that was about to take down Giorgio Armani. The criminals used an AI-generated voice
dcnews.ro · 2025
AI Translated

The scammers used AI technology to mimic the voice of Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, making phone calls requesting urgent financial support for the release of Italian journalists kidnapped in the Middle East.

The targeted victims …

Next-Gen Phishing: The Rise of AI Vishing Scams
unite.ai · 2025

In cybersecurity, the online threats posed by AI can have very material impacts on individuals and organizations around the world. Traditional phishing scams have evolved through the abuse of AI tools, growing more frequent, sophisticated, …

Variants

A "variant" is an incident that shares the same causative factors, produces similar harms, and involves the same intelligent systems as a known AI incident. Rather than index variants as entirely separate incidents, we list variations of incidents under the first similar incident submitted to the database. Unlike other submission types to the incident database, variants are not required to have reporting in evidence external to the Incident Database. Learn more from the research paper.
unreviewed
Incident Date:
2025-02-10
unreviewed
Incident Date:
2025-02-11
unreviewed
Incident Date:
2025-02-12

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