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A businessman in China was defrauded of $609,000 after a scammer used artificial intelligence (AI) to pose as his trusted friend and convince him to transfer funds. The victim, surnamed Guo, received a video call from someone who looked and sounded like his close friend. However, the caller was actually a con artist using smart AI technology to alter their face and voice. Guo transferred the money after the fraudster claimed that their mutual friend needed the cash transferred to pay the guarantee on a public tender. The fraudster asked for Guo’s personal bank account number and then sent him a screenshot of a fake transaction record. Guo only realised he had been scammed when he messaged his friend about the payment.
Guo managed to recover $486,000 after contacting the police, but the remaining funds were unrecoverable. Efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the scammer. Fraudsters’ exploitation of the potential of groundbreaking AI technology highlights the need for stringent regulations as more Chinese companies develop similar products.