Italian Billionaires Duped by AI Scam, Discover What It’s Like to Be Regular People
Italy’s wealthiest business tycoons are reeling after falling victim to the most cutting-edge scam imaginable, proving that even the richest among us can still be just as gullible as the rest of society.
An AI-generated phone scam successfully bamboozled some of Italy’s biggest names, including famed fashion icon Giorgio Armani and Prada chairman Patrizio Bertelli, by using a cloned version of the defense minister’s voice to request money for journalists allegedly kidnapped in the Middle East. Yes, these titans of industry, known for making billion-dollar decisions, couldn’t spot a phony from a glorified voicemail bot.
Legal complaints have been filed—not just by the duped billionaires but also by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, whose voice was unceremoniously stolen for these charity-like ransom calls. “It’s incredibly disturbing,” Crosetto said. “Not just that my voice was used, but that these guys actually believed a government official would personally call them for cash.”
Victims include former Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti and a member of the Beretta family, known for producing firearms and, apparently, for not detecting obvious fraud. “Looking back, it makes sense,” Moratti admitted. “I mean, who asks for a wire transfer to free kidnapped journalists? But when the call came, I just thought, ‘Ah, classic Italy!’”
Experts say AI scams are on the rise, but this one stands out for targeting individuals so wealthy they’ve probably never had to manually enter a password. “These billionaires don’t actually speak to people outside of their inner circle,” said one cybersecurity analyst. “So, when a convincing AI voice says, ‘Hey, it’s me, the government, send money,’ they react before thinking, because thinking is something assistants usually do for them.”
As the investigation continues, authorities are reminding the ultra-rich to do what the rest of the world does when faced with a weird phone call—ignore it and block the number.
