Fraudsters in Italy have used artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and his staff in a bid to trick prominent Italian businessmen into transferring money abroad.
Among the victims were high-profile figures, including Patrizio Bertelli, co-chairman of Prada SpA; fashion designer Giorgio Armani; Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice president of Pirelli & C. SpA; and billionaire Massimo Moratti, former owner of Milan’s Inter football club.
The scam involved a request for funds to ransom Italian citizens allegedly imprisoned or kidnapped in Iran and Syria. This fraudulent activity began shortly after the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who had been held in a Tehran prison.
Massimo Moratti confirmed that he transferred an unspecified sum after being contacted by the scammers.
Defense Minister Crosetto reported on X (Twitter) last week that, according to his sources, the fraudsters had specifically targeted a “prominent entrepreneur” in their attempt to secure money. He also mentioned that he had alerted the police and judicial authorities regarding the incident.
