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An uncovered court document reveals that a deepfake voice was used to steal USD35 million from a bank in the United Arab Emirates last January.

It’s said that a branch manager from an undisclosed bank got a seemingly normal phone call from a director of a big company. Apparently, the voice sounds just like the actual director as the bank easily recognized it since they have just spoken to them previously.

The fake phone call, together with the supposed emails from the company itself and its lawyers, convinced the manager that they’re to withdraw USD35 million for a business deal.

The bank then followed to caller’s orders, who asked them to transfer large amounts of money to new accounts. Sadly, it was all part of a pretty elaborate heist.

Investigators in Dubai revealed that the criminals used deepfake voice technology to simulate the voice of the said company director. They said that the entire heist may have consisted of as much as 17 people and the money scattered through different bank accounts across the world.

Around USD400,000 of that money was transferred to the Centennial Bank in the United States, making the case now part of the US judicial system.

Via: Gizmodo

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