Airtel's Sunil Mittal exposes AI voice cloning scam attempt that almost defrauded Bharti Enterprises

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, revealed a shocking incident at the NDTV World Summit where an AI-powered scam attempted to defraud his company. Using artificial intelligence to clone Mittal’s voice, the scammer called one of his executives in Dubai, demanding a significant money transfer. The AI-generated voice was so accurate that even Mittal admitted, “It was perfectly articulated, just as I would speak.”

The quick-thinking executive, however, caught the scam. “The official who was vigilant and sensible immediately realised it was a scam,” Mittal shared. He emphasised how the scam could have succeeded if the executive had not been cautious, noting that the fraudster’s AI-cloned voice was almost indistinguishable from his own.

Mittal’s warning highlights the escalating misuse of AI in fraud schemes. Cybercriminals are increasingly using AI tools to clone voices and deceive unsuspecting victims. “Anyone who would not have been vigilant may have done something about it,” Mittal cautioned. He stressed that scams like these can be difficult to detect due to how convincingly AI can replicate human voices.

Beyond voice cloning, Mittal expressed concerns that AI could be used to forge digital signatures or create deepfake videos, allowing criminals to manipulate people through virtual meetings. 

Despite the dangers, Mittal acknowledged that AI holds significant potential for innovation and progress. “We’ll have to protect our societies from the evils of AI, and yet we have to use the goodness of AI,” he said. He called for a balanced approach to AI adoption, where its advantages can be harnessed while simultaneously protecting against its misuse.

Mittal also pointed out the competitive edge AI can provide for businesses and nations. However, he warned that falling behind in AI adoption could have serious consequences. “Those companies, and nations that will not adopt AI, will be left behind,” he emphasised.

A Surge in AI-Powered Scams

The incident at Bharti Enterprises is part of a broader wave of AI-enabled fraud schemes. AI technologies are increasingly being used to replicate voices and impersonate individuals, often to extract money or sensitive information from their victims. In some cases, scammers are using AI to conduct “digital arrest” scams, where they impersonate law enforcement officers in virtual settings, pressuring victims into making payments.

Mittal’s warning comes on the heels of several high-profile AI-driven frauds. One such case involved SP Oswal, Chairman of Vardhman Group, who lost ₹7 crore after scammers posed as government officials and used fake documents and virtual settings to convince him to make a payment.