In Kerala’s first AI-aided scam, the Cyber Crime Wing of the Kerala Police’s Cyber Operations Wing successfully recovered Rs 40,000 in a groundbreaking case involving extortion through Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. The incident unfolded when a complainant fell victim to an AI-based fake video call, marking the first reported instance of such a scam in Kerala.

The perpetrator employed sophisticated AI techniques to deceive the victim, identified as Radhakrishnan, by assuming the identity of a friend during a WhatsApp video call. The imposter meticulously crafted a facade resembling Radhakrishnan’s former colleague from Andhra Pradesh and even dropped the names of people known to him, thus creating a false sense of familiarity.

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Under the pretense of being in Dubai and in urgent need of money for a relative’s medical treatment, the fraudster convinced Radhakrishnan to part with a sum of Rs 40,000. The scammer promised to repay the amount upon returning to India. 

However, Radhakrishnan became suspicions when the perpetrator attempted to extort an additional Rs 35,000. Consequently, Radhakrishnan took direct action, contacting his friend and ultimately discovering the scam.

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Promptly responding to the complaint filed through the dedicated helpline number 1930, the Cyber Operations Wing of the Kerala Police’s Cyber Crime Wing took swift action to rectify the situation. Their efforts led to the successful recovery of the entire amount that had been extorted from Radhakrishnan by the fraudster employing AI technology.

As of now, the identity of the miscreant remains unknown, and investigations are underway to apprehend the individual responsible for perpetrating this novel AI-aided scam.

The Kerala Police has issued a warning to the public, urging them to exercise caution and refrain from responding to any requests for financial assistance through unfamiliar video or audio calls. They have advised individuals to be vigilant and promptly report any suspicious or fraudulent calls to the Kerala Cyber Helpline at the toll-free number 1930.