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A mother was shocked by a cyber abduction scam that made her believe her daughter was in distress, only to realize it was a ploy to extort money and even hold her mother hostage.
On “Fox & Friends Weekend,” Arizona mother Jennifer DeStefano recounted the harrowing experience, saying, “It was a back-and-forth situation.”
She narrated how the scam unfolded, with her daughter supposedly in trouble and pleading for help. The perpetrators manipulated the situation to create a sense of urgency and fear.
In Warsaw, Poland, a security camera captured a moment related to cell phone passcode security. (Image captured by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
When the call came through, DeStefano shared that the scammers threatened harm to her child if she disclosed the situation to anyone.
Apart from seeking money, the scammers also had sinister intentions of physically harming her. DeStefano expressed concerns about the potential use of such tactics for more sinister purposes beyond financial extortion.
Her ordeal is just one example of many instances where criminals exploit advancements in artificial intelligence.
Scammers utilized AI voice cloning technology to impersonate Jennifer DeStefano’s daughter. (Source: Fox News, Jon Michael Raasch, PAU BARRENA, and AFP via Getty Images)
In a notable case, 17-year-old Chinese student Kai Zhuang became a victim of a similar scam where his community was duped into believing he was in danger. The community ended up sending $80,000 as ransom before discovering that Zhuang had isolated himself willingly.
DeStefano highlighted the disturbingly realistic nature of the scam, emphasizing how the scammers convincingly replicated her daughter’s voice.
Early on Friday, Riverdale Police issued a missing person alert for Kai Zhuang, 17, but he was later found safe.
As concerns grow over the prevalence of such scams, including deepfakes and other sophisticated forms of deception, voice cloning frauds continue to pose a significant threat.
