Following this paper’s exposure of scammers using AI tools and voice conversion apps to impersonate police officers and prey on parents, a woman from Mumbai reached out to the mid-day. She recounted an incident where she received a similar call but remained cautious, recognising the potential scam. One major warning sign for her was that law enforcement authorities typically do not communicate via WhatsApp. The woman identified as Neha Boradia, informed mid-day about the concerning trend of scammers exploiting AI and voice conversion technology to deceive parents with fabricated allegations of their children’s involvement in rape cases, subsequently demanding payment for settlements.

“I received a similar call from an unknown number with a Pakistani code. The caller contacted me via WhatsApp, displaying a police officer’s profile picture. The first red flag was the WhatsApp call, as genuine officers wouldn’t use it for such notifications. The caller then mentioned my son’s name, asking about our relationship. I remained calm, refusing to disclose any information, and questioned the caller’s identity and purpose. Claiming to be a CBI officer, he insisted on a settlement for my son’s alleged crime.”