Reported AI Voice Cloning Contributed to Business Email Scam Losses Exceeding $3 Billion

FBI data cited by Forbes indicates that business email compromise (BEC) scams resulted in over $3 billion in reported losses in 2025, marking a $250 million increase. This surge is reportedly driven by the use of AI voice cloning and deepfake video calls, which make these financial scams feel more personal. The article notes that scammers can now add a cloned voice or synthetic video call to their tactics, leveraging victims' sense of recognition. A key example is the 2024 Arup case, where an employee in the Hong Kong office of the London-based engineering firm was initially skeptical of an email request from the company's UK-based CFO. However, a subsequent deepfake video call, where the employee reportedly saw and heard several individuals appearing to be company executives, led to 15 transfers totaling approximately HK$200 million (roughly $25.6 million) to five Hong Kong bank accounts. Another incident from 2019, reported by The Wall Street Journal, involved criminals using AI-generated audio to mimic the head of a German parent company, convincing the chief executive of a UK energy firm to send about €220,000 (then roughly $243,000) to what was believed to be a supplier. This particular scam involved only a voice, without video or an elaborate meeting.