Messaging apps

Incidents implicated systems

Incident 16483 Report
Hong Kong Man Reportedly Lost More Than HK$10 Million in WhatsApp Scam Using Purported AI-Generated Voice Impersonation of His Father

2026-07-29

A Hong Kong man reportedly lost more than HK$10 million after scammers hijacked his father's WhatsApp account and sent voice messages closely resembling his father's voice and speech. The victim allegedly made repeated transfers until his savings were depleted.

Incident 13551 Report
Reported AI Impersonations of Pastors Used in Online Donation and Influence Scams

2026-01-05

Religious communities in the U.S. and abroad reported the circulation of purportedly AI-generated videos and cloned audio impersonating pastors and church leaders, including Father Mike Schmitz, to solicit donations and spread incendiary sermons. The impersonations reportedly leveraged synthetic voice and likeness tools and were distributed via platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and messaging apps. Some content remained unlabeled as AI-generated and was treated as authentic by viewers.

Incident 17111 Report
Purported Deepfake WhatsApp Scam Impersonating Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Actor C. Joseph Vijay Reportedly Defrauded Bengaluru Security Guard of ₹104,000 (~$1,085.40)

2026-09-09

Ratikanta Giri, a 29-year-old security guard in Bengaluru, India, reportedly lost ₹104,000 (~$1,085.40) after a WhatsApp video caller used a purportedly AI-generated deepfake to impersonate C. Joseph Vijay, the actor and chief minister of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The caller promised financial aid, while accomplices allegedly demanded fees and later impersonated India's Central Bureau of Investigation.

Incident 17121 Report
Northern Ireland Victim Reportedly Lost £250,000 in Investment Scam Using Purportedly AI-Generated Video of Unnamed Financial Personality

2026-09-07

A person in Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland, reportedly lost £250,000 in an investment scam that began with an apparently AI-generated video of an unnamed, well-known financial personality. Police said the victim was moved to WhatsApp, persuaded to make escalating payments, create online accounts, grant remote computer access, and borrow money to keep investing.

Messaging apps

Incidents implicated systems

Incident 16483 ReportHong Kong Man Reportedly Lost More Than HK$10 Million in WhatsApp Scam Using Purported AI-Generated Voice Impersonation of His Father

Incident 13551 ReportReported AI Impersonations of Pastors Used in Online Donation and Influence Scams

Incident 17111 ReportPurported Deepfake WhatsApp Scam Impersonating Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Actor C. Joseph Vijay Reportedly Defrauded Bengaluru Security Guard of ₹104,000 (~$1,085.40)

Incident 17121 ReportNorthern Ireland Victim Reportedly Lost £250,000 in Investment Scam Using Purportedly AI-Generated Video of Unnamed Financial Personality

Related Entities Related EntitiesOther entities that are related to the same incident. For example, if the developer of an incident is this entity but the deployer is another entity, they are marked as related entities.

Related Entities

Scammers impersonating religious figures

Incidents involved as Deployer

Scammers

Incidents involved as Deployer

Deepfake technology developers

Incidents involved as Developer

Synthetic audio generation technology developers

Incidents involved as Developer

Mike Schmitz

Incidents Harmed By

Religious leaders

Incidents Harmed By

Religious institutions

Incidents Harmed By

Religious communities

Incidents Harmed By

Churches

Incidents Harmed By

Congregants

Incidents Harmed By

General public

Incidents Harmed By

Epistemic integrity

Incidents Harmed By

TikTok

Incidents implicated systems

Facebook

Incidents implicated systems

Instagram

Incidents implicated systems

Social media platforms

Incidents implicated systems

Deepfake technology

Incidents implicated systems

Synthetic audio generation technology

Incidents implicated systems

Voice cloning impersonation scammers

Incidents involved as Deployer

Synthetic media creators

Incidents involved as Deployer

Scammers in Hong Kong

Incidents involved as Deployer

Deepfake creators

Incidents involved as Deployer

Cybercriminals

Incidents involved as Deployer

Voice cloning technology developers

Incidents involved as Developer

Synthetic media generation technology developers

Incidents involved as Developer

WhatsApp users

Incidents Harmed By

Victims of voice cloning impersonation scams

Incidents Harmed By

Victims of impersonation scams

Incidents Harmed By

Financial scam victims

Incidents Harmed By

WhatsApp

Incidents implicated systems

Voice cloning technology

Incidents implicated systems

Synthetic media generation technology

Incidents implicated systems

Impersonation scammers

Incidents involved as Deployer

Cybercriminals in India

Incidents involved as Deployer

Scammers in India

Incidents involved as Deployer

Synthetic video generation technology developers

Incidents involved as Developer

Incident 16483 Report
Hong Kong Man Reportedly Lost More Than HK$10 Million in WhatsApp Scam Using Purported AI-Generated Voice Impersonation of His Father

Incident 13551 Report
Reported AI Impersonations of Pastors Used in Online Donation and Influence Scams

Incident 17111 Report
Purported Deepfake WhatsApp Scam Impersonating Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Actor C. Joseph Vijay Reportedly Defrauded Bengaluru Security Guard of ₹104,000 (~$1,085.40)

Incident 17121 Report
Northern Ireland Victim Reportedly Lost £250,000 in Investment Scam Using Purportedly AI-Generated Video of Unnamed Financial Personality

Related Entities