AI ‘voice cloning’ scams are on the rise. Here’s how to protect yourself
US AI-scam coverage includes voice-cloning, phishing and romance scams; $893m is mixed-fraud loss and cannot be allocated to romance scams.
Prevention & supportData from The GDELT Project · Reviewed and interpreted by RSRC
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Find reporting by topic, place or language. Open a record to see why it was included and what the available evidence supports.
The chart uses every search filter above and all matching records, across every results page. The percentage denominator is all included URLs in the same dates, before theme, language, country or text filters.
Distinct included URLs matching these filters in each observation month. Select a point to explore its records. On small screens, scroll the chart horizontally.
A URL counts once per month and can appear in several months or themes. Themes describe the current record assessment; months show URL observations, not when events or each claim first appeared. Warnings, allegations and reported experiences are all included when coded. Partial months, collection gaps and changes in sources affect both measures. A higher share does not establish a higher risk to victims.
| Observation month | Matching URLs | All included URLs | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 263 | 591 | 44.5% |
| Feb 2025 | 405 | 1,629 | 24.9% |
| Mar 2025 | 291 | 561 | 51.9% |
| Apr 2025 | 121 | 390 | 31.0% |
| May 2025 | 113 | 398 | 28.4% |
| Jun 2025 | 82 | 209 | 39.2% |
| Jul 2025 | 132 | 522 | 25.3% |
| Aug 2025 | 129 | 447 | 28.9% |
| Sep 2025 | 161 | 613 | 26.3% |
| Oct 2025 | 128 | 483 | 26.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 118 | 392 | 30.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 91 | 333 | 27.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 523 | 530 | 98.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 1,101 | 1,106 | 99.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 358 | 360 | 99.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 485 | 491 | 98.8% |
| May 2026 | 779 | 785 | 99.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 594 | 842 | 70.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 658 | 1,143 | 57.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 272 | 640 | 42.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 147 | 638 | 23.0% |
| Oct 2026 | 8 | 30 | 26.7% |
Each record represents a source web page, not a verified incident. Different URLs can describe the same event. About these records.
US AI-scam coverage includes voice-cloning, phishing and romance scams; $893m is mixed-fraud loss and cannot be allocated to romance scams.
Prevention & supportMacau police arrested five Filipino non-resident workers suspected of receiving and withdrawing MOP51,000 in romance-scam proceeds; nationality does not establish operation geography.
Reported caseHeadline reports mother-daughter arrest over N18m romance fraud; body metadata is a template, so further details withheld.
Reported caseChanghua prosecutors searched Luo’s NewTaipei home over sham marriage deception; cash, rings and cars seized are distinct from victim-loss totals.
Reported caseUnison released an educational booklet for seniors through the Veiner and Kirby centres. A prevention resource, not a reported case.
Prevention & supportReport describes 42 grooms at an allegedly fraudulent mass wedding in Dewas, India; police investigating, no payment amount established.
Reported caseBengaluru engineer Saurav Dubey reportedly lost INR1.66 crore; INR4,250 returns are separately described. Police suspect routing through mule accounts.
Reported caseGeneral warning describes compliments and affection preceding love fraud, particularly involving older adults.
Prevention & supportNigerian police report mother-daughter arrest concerning N18m alleged loss to a Malta-based victim.
Reported caseArrest and alleged N18m loss; not a conviction.
Reported caseBengaluru software engineer reportedly lost INR1.66 crore after a woman met on a dating app promoted fake high-return investments.
Reported casePromotional account explicitly claims a Singaporean romance-investment victim; loss, identity and residence remain unverified.
Reported caseUrowhe Diana,39, and Rokibat Oluwasheyi Imoru,22, reportedly arrested in Nigeria over N18m romance fraud against a Malta-based victim; theft and laundering remain allegations.
Reported caseJamaican man reportedly pleaded guilty in a romance scam targeting an elderly Arizona woman; nationality is not an operation location.
Reported caseChanghua prosecutors allege Luo,33, used false marriage promises on dating platforms; seized rings, TWD1.16m and a car are not a total victim-loss estimate.
Reported caseMother and daughter arrested over alleged N18m romance scam; police mention identity theft and computer-related fraud.
Reported casePromotional warning explicitly names romance-investment fraud without establishing a verified incident.
Prevention & supportExplicit romance-investment prevention text without a separately established impersonation mechanism.
Prevention & supportExplicit romance-investment warning in promotional blog text; no verified victim, loss or service recommendation.
Prevention & supportExplicit general romance-linked investment warning; no separate impersonation mechanism established.
Prevention & supportBielefeld petrol-station worker reportedly prevented further love-scam harm on24May2026. Clipping does not establish amount or prior realized cash loss. The clipped phrase does not establish an asset interception.
Reported caseExplicit romance-investment warning; no distinct case or independently supported loss.
Prevention & supportCalifornia/Riverside deaths are reported as a possible murder-suicide associated with a Tom Selleck impersonation scam. Association does not establish the scam caused either death.
Reported caseExplicit romance-investment prevention text without a separately established impersonation mechanism.
Prevention & supportDescribes fabricated romantic personas and trust building used to solicit investment.
Prevention & support