Hyderabad cybercrime issues alert on AI-based biometric scam

Hyderabad Cybercrime Police warned of an AI-based scam targeting citizens’ facial and voice data. Fraudsters trick people into handling smartphones, capturing biometrics for identity theft and social engineering. Citizens are urged to use caution and report suspicious activity.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cybercrime Police has issued a public alert over a new and emerging AI-based biometric scam that is particularly targeting citizens’ identity data rather than just their money.

According to V Arvind Babu, DCP, Cybercrime, fraudsters are adopting sophisticated methods to secretly capture biometric details such as facial features and voice samples. The scammers reportedly pose as elderly or middle-aged individuals in crowded public places, including malls, metro stations, and crowded markets.

---

Police said the suspects first approach unsuspecting individuals seeking small help, including checking pension or subsidy status on a mobile app, fixing a technical issue, or even operating a smartphone while claiming they are not tech-savvy.

However, the phone may already be in video call or screen recording mode with necessary permissions enabled. Within a few seconds, accomplices on the other end can capture the victim’s face and voice, which can later be misused to generate AI-based impersonations.

Cybercrime officials have warned that such data could potentially be exploited for fraudulent activities, including social engineering scams, identity theft, and bypassing digital verification systems. They further warned against handling or operating unknown persons’ mobile phones and against looking into suspicious video calls.

Victims of cyber fraud can contact the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 or lodge a complaint through the official portal of the Cyber Crime Portal –www.cybercrime.gov.in.