Greenville Police issue warning Over ‘Virtual Kidnapping’ scams using AI voice clones and stolen social media details

Local law enforcement authorities are urging Upstate residents to stay vigilant following an alert regarding sophisticated “virtual kidnapping” scams designed to extort money from unsuspecting families.

The Greenville Police Department issued a formal warning cautioning that scammers are leveraging fear, extreme urgency, and emotional manipulation to trick victims into believing a loved one has been abducted and requires immediate ransom payment—even when that person is entirely safe and unharmed.

Unlike traditional extortion schemes, modern virtual kidnapping operations increasingly deploy artificial intelligence and digital surveillance to make threats convincingly realistic.

According to Greenville Police, perpetrators frequently rely on several deceptive tactics:

• AI-Generated Voice Clones: Utilizing artificial intelligence tools to mimic and clone the realistic voice and speech cadence of a victim’s family member.

• Social Media Scraping: Mining publicly available social media accounts for personal details, schedules, nicknames, and travel plans to make ransom scenarios sound credible.

• Digital Media Manipulation: Creating or altering images and videos to simulate distress or an ongoing hostage situation.

• Phone Number Spoofing: Manipulating caller ID data so the incoming extortion call appears to originate directly from a family member’s phone.

• Aggressive Urgency: Pressuring targets with relentless demands for immediate, untraceable payments before they can verify facts.

Police officials advise anyone receiving a suspicious ransom or extortion call to remain calm, avoid transferring funds, and reach out directly to the individual named via an alternate phone line or trusted third party to verify their whereabouts.

Anyone who suspects an extortion attempt is underway or believes a loved one may be in genuine danger should contact emergency law enforcement immediately.