Son’s voice cloned in scam call to mother in Mayo

A SINISTER scam where a son's voice was cloned using technology that duped his mother into transferring money to a bank account has been highlighted by a Mayo councillor.

The son's voice was accessed from a phone message and replicated to such a high standard that when his mother received a call, she believed she was speaking to him.

Details of the scam were outlined by Ballinrobe-based Councillor Michael Burke at a council committee meeting.

The mother had told him how she received a call from her son that he needed €5,000 as he was changing apartments. She transferred €3,000 and then a further €1,000.

She was contacted by the bank 24 hours later to say there was activity which they didn't think was correct.

She explained how she had spoken with her son.

Subsequently, he then rang and it emerged that he had not called his mother.

It turned out that a message was taken off his phone and using AI, his mother received a word perfect call where she believed she was talking to her son.

The transfer had been made from one Bank of Ireland account to another.

Councillor Burke said he didn't know where we are going with technology and the dangers of it, notwithstanding the positives.