Italy's elite scammed by AI‑voiced 'minister' in fake ransom plot

According to the Polish Press Agency, the fraudsters impersonated the minister, requesting funds for the supposed release of kidnapped journalists in the Middle East. One entrepreneur transferred one million euros to the criminals' account.

Minister Guido Crosetto informed the Ansa agency that he had filed a criminal complaint regarding the unauthorized use of his name and the forgery of his voice. He discovered the fraud when "a businessman friend called him with information that the minister's secretary had asked his assistant for his phone number." In the following days, he received similar messages about calls from individuals pretending to be his colleagues from the Ministry of Defense.

The victims of the fraud filed complaints with the prosecutor's office in Milan, which initiated an investigation. Those who received calls from the scammers, who claimed it was "a very urgent matter concerning national security," also contacted the authorities.

The criminals alleged that the funds were needed to pay a ransom for the release of journalists supposedly kidnapped in Iran, Syria, and other countries. In reality, such journalists do not exist. The group of fraudsters provided numbers of foreign bank accounts, including ones in Hong Kong, where the money was to be transferred.

Prominent Italian entrepreneurs and industrialists, including arms manufacturers and figures from the fashion world such as designer Giorgio Armani and Patrizio Bertelli—the husband of Miuccia Prada, owner of a fashion empire—were targeted by the ring. Milan investigators activated international cooperation channels to trace the flow of money, including to accounts in tax havens.

The investigation into the fraud continues. This event underscores the growing threats linked to the use of artificial intelligence in crime and the need to remain vigilant against new methods of extortion.