Fraud alerts in Romania: AI-cloned voices and fake E-ON invoices
Fraudsters use artificially intelligent cloned voices and fake emails with outstanding invoices to deceive Romanians. E-ON warns that the company's identity is being used fraudulently.
Cloned voices and fake invoices: methods of fraudsters targeting Romania
A new online fraud alert concerns E-ON Romania customers, according to Digi24. Fraudsters send emails with false outstanding invoices, urging recipients to quickly access a link to avoid service interruption. Through this procedure, victims' personal data are stolen. The management of the gas and electricity supplier has confirmed that the company's name is being used fraudulently.
The email attack represents an evolution of an earlier wave of SMS messages with false unpaid fines. Cybersecurity experts emphasise that fraudsters are systematically improving methods that have worked previously, adapting them to circumvent victims' vigilance.
Cloned voice of relatives, an increasingly common weapon
One of the most alarming techniques documented by Digi24 involves using artificial intelligence to clone the voice of someone close to the victim. A typical message sounds like this: "Teodora, I need help. I hit a woman at a pedestrian crossing and to keep the police from being called I urgently need four thousand lei. Please, help me!"
Digi24 journalist Teodora Chiuș herself received such a message, with her sister's cloned voice. "At first glance, I would have really believed it was my sister, because it has her voice, but a few details made me suspicious. My sister doesn't have a driving licence and doesn't drive. Moreover, she never calls me Teodora, she calls me Teo", Chiuș explained. She warns that hackers rely on urgency and pressure, not caring that some details do not match reality.
Another relevant case is that of Chief Commissioner Bogdan Ghebaur, spokesperson for the Romanian Police, who reported being called by his own cloned voice. The attempt failed in this case, but the method remains, according to Digi24, extremely widespread.
Fake police officers and bank employees
Another frequent scheme consists of calls where fraudsters pose as police officers or employees of the victim's bank. They claim that money in the account is in danger and must be urgently moved to another account, "safer". Some people, fearing they will lose their savings, comply.
Old methods, constantly improved
The fraud dubbed "The nephew in trouble" continues to victimise people, especially now that it is amplified through the cloned voice of close relatives. Along with this, Digi24 mentions other active schemes: the "BNR" method, the "lost phone" fraud, "vishing" and false investment opportunities.
The rule followed by fraudsters is constant: if a method has worked, they reuse it — but with improvements. Authorities and targeted companies recommend careful verification of any message requesting urgent payments or accessing links, no matter how authentic the source appears.
Source: Digi24