{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-10-23T09:18:33.136Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"chai","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"","response":"regulatory","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":4,"coverage":{"cases":4,"countries":3,"languages":4,"unknownLocation":1,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":0,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":4,"minors":0,"coreRelations":4,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":0,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":0},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2023-slovakia-ai-voice-deepfake-of-party-leader-and-journalist-discussing-election-rigging-spread-during-moratorium","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"Len dva dni pred parlamentnými voľbami zdieľali tisíce slovenských používateľov sociálnych sietí podozrivý zvukový súbor, ktorý bol prezentovaný ako rozhovor medzi Michalom Šimečkom, predsedom Progresívneho Slovenska (PS), a Monikou Tódovou, novinárkou Denníka N. ... Na nahrávke hovoria, že voľby 30. septembra budú zmanipulované v prospech PS.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Neznámy dezinformátor alebo dezinformátori vypustili tesne pred voľbami 2023 novú formu hoaxu, ktorý mal potenciál ovplyvniť výsledky hlasovania. Terčom takzvaného deepfaku – počítačom vyrobenej nahrávky – sa stali predseda PS Michal Šimečka a novinárka Denníka N Monika Tódová. V nahrávke zneli ich hlasy tak, akoby sa dohodovali o manipulácii volieb.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Shortly before Slovakia's 2023 parliamentary election, an audio file spread on social media in which the voices of the Progressive Slovakia leader and a Denník N journalist appear to discuss rigging the election.","causal_attribution":"AFP observed the posts and file itself; Denník N reports the same file from its own position as the journalist's employer."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Na základe nášho vyhodnotenia predmetná nahrávka vykazuje viaceré znaky, že je vytvorená umelou inteligenciou pomocou algoritmov umožňujúcich vytvorenie syntetického/umelého hlasu vytrénovaného na hlasoch reálnych osôb (tzv. audio deepfake) ... Preukazuje to tón hlasu, neprirodzená dikcia, výber slov a podobne.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The director of the Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats told AFP that the centre's evaluation found several signs that the recording was created with AI algorithms producing a synthetic voice trained on real people's voices, citing tone, unnatural diction and word choice.","causal_attribution":"Government examining unit's assessment as quoted by AFP; its full method is not published."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Viacerí analytici však pre agentúru AFP na základe hneď niekoľkých faktorov zvukového záznamu uviedli, že nahrávka je podvod vytvorený umelou inteligenciou a technológiou syntetického hlasu.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Several analysts consulted by AFP said, on the basis of several features of the recording, that it was a fake created with artificial intelligence and synthetic-voice technology.","causal_attribution":"Expert assessments gathered by AFP; one expert said it could alternatively be spliced from other calls."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"bývalý poslanec strany Sme Rodina, ktorý ho 28. septembra zverejnil na svojom facebookovom účte. ... napísal v príspevku, ktorý nazbieral viac ako 2200 zdieľaní. ... Jeden z príspevkov na Facebooku bol zdieľaný viac ako 3 000-krát pred tým, ako bol odstránený.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A former member of parliament posted the recording on Facebook on 28 September as authentic and called the party leader a traitor and fraudster, in a post shared more than 2,200 times; another Facebook post was shared more than 3,000 times before removal.","causal_attribution":"AFP's observation of the posts."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Naši súperi vytvorili ďalšie falošné video s hlasom od umelej inteligencie","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The party leader called the recording fake and said his opponents had made another fake video with an AI voice.","causal_attribution":"Depicted person's own statement, relayed by AFP."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Novinárkin advokát Tomáš Kamenec postavil trestné oznámenie na paragrafoch o ohováraní a poškodzovaní cudzích práv. ... Jej trestné oznámenie polícia prvýkrát odmietla už po pár týždňoch. Vyšetrovateľ síce uznal, že išlo o zjavný podvrh, podľa neho však bol málo presvedčivý, a teda nemohol ovplyvniť významnejšiu skupinu voličov. ... S postupom polície sa vtedy nestotožnil ani prokurátor Okresnej prokuratúry Bratislava III, ktorý vyšetrovateľom nariadil prípad riadne prešetriť.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The journalist filed a criminal complaint through her lawyer on defamation and interference with others' rights; police first dismissed it, saying the fake was obvious and unconvincing, and the district prosecutor then ordered a proper investigation.","causal_attribution":"Reported by the journalist's employer; the police and prosecutor decisions themselves were not read."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Vyšetrovateľka Okresného riaditeľstva Bratislava III prerušila trestné stíhanie s vysvetlením, že „sa nepodarilo zistiť skutočnosti oprávňujúce vykonať trestné stíhanie voči konkrétnej osobe“. ... Novinárka Tódová podala prostredníctvom advokátskej kancelárie Paul Q proti tomuto rozhodnutiu sťažnosť.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"After almost a year, an investigator suspended the prosecution because no specific suspect could be identified, and the journalist filed a complaint against that decision.","causal_attribution":"Reported by the journalist's employer."}],"effects":[{"label":"party leader and journalist falsely depicted plotting election fraud; recording spread as genuine; criminal complaint filed","claim_id":"c6","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://fakty.afp.com/doc.afp.com.33WY9LF","kind":"fact_check","access":"read","language":"sk","translation_note":"Read in Slovak by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-22 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. AFP Fakty fact-check published 28 Sep 2023 21:51, updated 29 Apr 2024; direct fetch 403, read in full from an Internet Archive capture (web.archive.org/web/2024id_/).","independence_group":"afp-fakty-sep-2023"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://dennikn.sk/4249286/policia-povedala-ze-nevie-vypatrat-autora-deepfaku-ktory-sa-snazil-ovplyvnit-volby/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"sk","translation_note":"Read in Slovak by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-22 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. Denník N report of 27 Oct 2024; Denník N employs the depicted journalist. Direct fetch 403, read in full from an Internet Archive capture (web.archive.org/web/2025id_/).","independence_group":"dennik-n-oct-2024"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["public_life","justice"],"unknowns":["Who made the recording and with which tool.","How the hybrid-threats centre and the analysts assessed the recording beyond the features they cite.","What happened to the journalist's complaint against the 2024 suspension; later reports were not read for this review."],"geography":{"basis":"AFP reports the file spread among Slovak social-media users before the Slovak parliamentary election, so the event country is Slovakia. The party leader leads a Slovak party and the journalist works for the Slovak daily Denník N and filed her complaint with Slovak police (Denník N), so both are placed in Slovakia. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["SK"],"affected_person_countries":["SK"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated): the Slovak Interior Ministry's hybrid-threats centre, which evaluated the recording, said it showed signs of AI synthetic-voice generation, and the imitated voices of a party leader and a journalist were spread as a record of them plotting election fraud. The leader denounced it and the journalist filed a criminal complaint for defamation, which police later suspended for want of a suspect.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-22"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"AFP Fakty quotes the director of the Slovak Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats saying that the centre's evaluation of this recording found several signs that it was created with AI algorithms producing a synthetic voice trained on real people's voices, citing tone, unnatural diction and word choice; several analysts consulted by AFP said the same on the basis of features of the recording. The generated voices of the party leader and the journalist were what spread as a supposed record of them plotting election fraud. The tool is not identified, and one expert said the file could alternatively have been spliced from other calls.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Slovakia: audio of a party leader and a journalist discussing vote rigging, which a ministry unit said showed signs of AI, spread before the 2023 election","summary":"Two days before Slovakia's parliamentary election of 30 September 2023, during the pre-election moratorium, an audio file presented as a phone call between Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Šimečka and Denník N journalist Monika Tódová spread on Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and chain e-mails. In it, the two voices discuss rigging the election in the party's favour. The director of the Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats told AFP that the ministry's evaluation found several signs that the recording was created with AI synthetic-voice algorithms trained on real people's voices, and other analysts consulted by AFP said it was an AI-made fake. A former member of parliament shared it as authentic, calling Šimečka a traitor and fraudster. Šimečka called it fake. Tódová filed a criminal complaint for defamation; according to Denník N, police first dismissed it, a prosecutor ordered an investigation, and in 2024 an investigator suspended the case because no suspect could be identified.","incidentDate":"2023-09-28","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2023-09-28","aiSystem":"Synthetic-voice (audio deepfake) generation imitating the voices of a party leader and a journalist, according to the Slovak Interior Ministry's Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats and analysts consulted by AFP (tool not identified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"According to AFP Fakty and Denník N, a party leader and a journalist were falsely depicted, through imitated voices that the Interior Ministry's hybrid-threats centre said showed signs of AI generation, as plotting to rig an election; the file spread widely during the moratorium, a former MP presented it as genuine and called the leader a traitor, the leader denounced it, and the journalist filed a criminal complaint for defamation.","frameworkFacets":[],"pathwayDirection":"outward","causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"Two depicted people, the party leader and the journalist, each with a reported objection (the leader's public denial reported by AFP; the journalist's criminal complaint reported by Denník N). Voters who heard or shared the file are an audience and are not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"SK","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"unknown","primarySourceUrl":"https://fakty.afp.com/doc.afp.com.33WY9LF","primarySourceLabel":"AFP Fakty, 28 Sep 2023: Údajná nahrávka telefonátu predsedu PS a novinárky Denníka N vykazuje podľa expertov početné známky manipulácie","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-22T03:05:17.620696+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-22T03:05:17.620696+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["voice_clone","audio_deepfake","election","journalist","defamation","slovakia"]},{"id":"2026-malaysia-mahathir-mourning-footage-manipulated-videos-mcmc-review","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'terdapat satu akaun di TikTok yang memuat naik video memaparkan keadaan Tun M yang sedang berada di sebelah jenazah Tun Dr Hasmah'; 'dipercayai telah menyunting video Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yang sedang bersedih ketika berada di sebelah jenazah Tun Dr Siti Hasmah dengan meletakkan aksi wanita sedang menari'; 'kelihatan individu itu menyunting momen ketika Tun M sedang mengangkat tangan untuk berdoa dengan aksi sedang menari sambil duduk di atas kerusi roda'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"A TikTok account posted a video of Mahathir grieving beside his wife's body edited to show a woman dancing beside him, and a second clip in which the moment he raised his hands in prayer was edited with dancing movements while seated in a wheelchair.","causal_attribution":"BuzzKini's description of videos shared by a Threads user; the videos were not inspected for this review."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Dilihat dari hasil video berkenaan ia dipercayai telah disunting dengan menggunakan artificial intelligence (AI).'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'sedang meneliti kandungan media sosial yang dipercayai menggunakan kecerdasan buatan (AI) bagi memanipulasi rakaman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad ketika beliau melalui saat dukacita selepas pemergian isterinya'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The videos are believed to have been edited with AI.","causal_attribution":"Both sources hedge the AI attribution as a belief; no tool or forensic basis is reported."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Ramai netizen mengkritik dan mengecam tindakan tersebut serta meminta pihak berkuasa seperti MCMC dan polis untuk mengambil tindakan atas perbuatan tidak bermoral itu.'; 'mengambil tindakan segera terhadap pemilik akaun TikTok terbabit'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Many social media users condemned the edits and asked MCMC and the police to act against the account holder.","causal_attribution":"BuzzKini's account of social media reaction."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'MCMC sudah berhubung dengan platform media sosial berkaitan dan sedang meneliti kandungan berkenaan.'; 'menjejaskan maruah individu dan keluarga adalah perkara serius'; 'termasuk Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998 (Akta 588)'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"MCMC said it had contacted the social media platforms concerned and was examining the content, that altering real footage in ways that can mislead or harm the dignity of an individual and family is serious, and that action could follow under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 if a breach is found.","causal_attribution":"MCMC statement as reported; no finding of a breach is reported."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Dr Siti Hasmah meninggal dunia pada 28 September lalu pada usia 100 tahun.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali died on 28 September 2026 aged 100.","causal_attribution":"Background fact; her death is not connected to the AI-edited videos."}],"effects":[{"label":"footage of him mourning beside his wife's body was edited to add dancing and posted on TikTok","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://utusanmelayuplus.com/mcmc-teliti-video-ai-manipulasi-saat-duka-tun-dr-mahathir/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ms","translation_note":"Read live in Malay on 2026-10-03 (Utusan Melayu, 2 October 2026); relays the MCMC statement. Harian Metro ran an item headlined 'MCMC teliti video AI manipulasi detik duka Tun Dr Mahathir', but only its description was retrieved and it was not used. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"mcmc-statement-2026-10-02"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://buzzkini.my/trending/2026/09/30/biadab-ramai-minta-pihak-berkuasa-ambil-tindakan-terhadap-individu-sunting-video-wanita-menari-ketika-tun-m-sedang-bersedih/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ms","translation_note":"Read live in Malay on 2026-10-03 (BuzzKini, 30 September 2026); describes the TikTok videos as shared by a Threads user and the public reaction. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"buzzkini-threads-tiktok"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Which tool was used and how the AI attribution was established.","Who operated the TikTok account, how widely the videos were seen, and whether the account's disappearance from TikTok (BuzzKini, 30 September) was a removal by the platform or by its holder.","Whether MCMC found a breach or took action.","Whether Mahathir or his family commented on the videos."],"geography":{"basis":"Utusan Melayu's photo caption places Mahathir at his wife's burial at the Pusara Negara in Putrajaya, and BuzzKini says she died at the Institut Jantung Negara in Kuala Lumpur, so he was in Malaysia during the mourning the footage shows. Neither source says where the edited videos were made or posted from; the Malaysian regulator's review does not establish an event location. No court is involved.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":["MY"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case: edited videos depicted a former prime minister mourning his wife, reportedly made with AI, and the national communications regulator said it was examining them. He is a public figure and is named as the sources do. Two independent accounts (BuzzKini's report of the videos; the MCMC statement, which does not describe the content, so its link to the TikTok videos is inferred); both hedge the AI attribution.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-03"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"BuzzKini says that, judging from the result, the videos are believed ('dipercayai') to have been edited with artificial intelligence. MCMC's statement, as reported by Utusan Melayu, refers to content believed ('dipercayai') to use AI to manipulate the footage. Neither names a tool or explains how the attribution was made, and the videos were not inspected. The edited videos depict Mahathir (depicted_or_impersonated).","status":"suspected"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Malaysia: footage of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad mourning his wife was edited, in what sources believe was AI manipulation, to add dancing, and posted on TikTok in September 2026; the communications regulator MCMC said it was examining content believed to use AI to manipulate footage of him in mourning","summary":"Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, wife of former Malaysian prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, died on 28 September 2026 aged 100. BuzzKini reported on 30 September that a TikTok account had posted a video of Mahathir grieving beside her body, edited to show a woman dancing next to him, and another clip of the moment he raised his hands in prayer edited with dancing movements while seated in a wheelchair. BuzzKini says the edits are believed to have been made with AI, and that many social media users condemned them and asked the regulator and police to act. On 2 October the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it was examining social media content believed to use AI to manipulate footage of Mahathir in mourning, had contacted the platforms concerned, and that action could follow under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 if a breach was found.","incidentDate":"2026-09-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-30","aiSystem":"Edited videos of Mahathir Mohamad mourning his wife, posted by a TikTok account; BuzzKini says they are believed to have been edited with AI and MCMC describes content believed to use AI. The tool and the account holder are not identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool (suspected)","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Footage of the former prime minister mourning beside his wife's body was edited, believed to be with AI, to add dancing and was posted on TikTok, prompting public condemnation and an MCMC review of content it said could harm the dignity of an individual and family (BuzzKini; MCMC via Utusan Melayu).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, Mahathir Mohamad, who is depicted in the edited footage (BuzzKini; Utusan Melayu). Viewers and commenters are not counted. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"MY","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://utusanmelayuplus.com/mcmc-teliti-video-ai-manipulasi-saat-duka-tun-dr-mahathir/","primarySourceLabel":"Utusan Melayu, 2 October 2026: MCMC teliti video AI manipulasi saat duka Tun Dr Mahathir","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-03T03:17:58.566577+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-03T03:17:58.566577+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["ai-edited-video","deepfakes","public-figure","bereavement","tiktok","mcmc","malaysia","malay-language"]},{"id":"2026-italy-fideuram-chairman-ai-cloned-lawyer-voice-ceo-impersonation-fraud","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Il 23 febbraio scorso, Molesini era stato contattato con un \"messaggio WhatsApp\" da un \"soggetto che, pur chiamandolo da un numero diverso da quello a lui noto, affermava di essere Carlo Messina, Ceo di Intesa\".'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Tutto precipita in una manciata di ore di febbraio 2026, quando Molesini, allora presidente di Fideuram, riceve (in realtà crede di ricevere, come amaramente si renderà conto di lì a poco) un messaggio WhatsApp da Carlo Messina, amministratore della capogruppo Banca Intesa.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'veniva contattato sul proprio cellulare aziendale, tramite messaggio Whatsapp da un soggetto che, pur chiamandolo da un numero diverso da quello a lui noto, affermava essere Carlo Messina.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'La truffa ai danni di Fideuram, secondo la ricostruzione contenuta in un decreto di sequestro del Tribunale di Milano, comincia il 23 febbraio 2026.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"On 23 February 2026 Molesini, then chairman of Fideuram, received a WhatsApp message from a number different from the one he knew, from someone claiming to be Intesa Sanpaolo CEO Carlo Messina, announcing that a lawyer would call him to conclude a confidential acquisition of an international bank through Fideuram.","causal_attribution":"ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano quote the investigating judge's decree; Corriere reconstructs the same contact from the court papers. Messina is described by all sources as extraneous to the scheme."},{"id":"c2","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Quell'avvocato, con voce finta creata con l'IA, poi lo contattò e gli fece firmare, con \"undici\" documenti inviati, \"un accordo di massima riservatezza\" e con procura speciale all'apparenza \"sottoscritta\" da Messina.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'È un avvocato d’affari che Moresini conosce, e se la voce gli sembra proprio quella è perché i truffatori l’hanno replicata ad arte con strumenti di intelligenza artificiale.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Nella stessa giornata un avvocato dello studio A&O Sherman chiama Molesini, ma è sempre l’IA che sta parlando.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Con l'intelligenza artificiale era stata riprodotta la voce di Carlo Messina.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'C’è infine una tecnica che potrebbe aver contribuito alla truffa, ma sulla quale gli atti non offrono ancora una risposta: la possibile imitazione della voce.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"The same day a caller presenting as a lawyer of A&O Shearman whom Molesini knew, in a voice that ANSA, Il Fatto Quotidiano and Corriere della Sera describe as created with artificial intelligence, had him sign a confidentiality agreement and transmitted eleven payment instructions on the firm's letterhead with a power of attorney apparently signed by Messina.","causal_attribution":"The AI attribution comes from the court's reconstruction as relayed by three newsrooms; no recording, forensic finding or tool is reported. Corriere names the impersonated lawyer as Paolo Nastasi, managing partner of A&O Shearman Italia, wholly extraneous and unaware. Il Fatto Quotidiano's summary line attributing the AI voice to Messina (context evidence) conflicts with the decree passages it quotes."},{"id":"c3","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Ed è così che il direttore finanziario di Fideuram, a ciò istruito dal presidente di Fideuram, che a sua volta crede di realizzare il compito affidatogli dal numero uno di Banca Intesa, fa partire i soldi, per lo più verso Cina e Hong Kong.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Ciò che è reale sono i bonifici successivi per un totale di 95 milioni di euro che partono tra il 23 e il 25 febbraio.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'anche il responsabile della Tesoreria e \"dei pagamenti\" di Fideuram, lo stesso giorno, sarebbe stato contattato da una persona che fingeva di essere l'ad di Fideuram, il quale gli diceva che Molesini lo avrebbe chiamato per disporre \"bonifici urgenti e riservati\".'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Secondo il decreto, gli undici bonifici raggiungono complessivamente 95,18 milioni di euro.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"'Convinto della legittimità dell’operazione, Molesini aveva dato disposizione al direttore finanziario di Fideuram di eseguire i bonifici.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Convinced of the operation, Molesini instructed Fideuram's finance and treasury head, who had himself been contacted by someone posing as Fideuram's CEO, to execute the transfers; eleven transfers totalling about 95 million euros left between 23 and 25 February 2026 to accounts in Portugal and at Bank of China.","causal_attribution":"The judge writes that Molesini and the treasurer were mutually convinced of the operation's urgency and confidentiality and did not contact the top management of Fideuram or Intesa (Il Fatto Quotidiano). The loss fell on the bank, not on Molesini personally."},{"id":"c4","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'La rapidità del riflesso reattivo viene premiata proprio da una banca in Cina, che blocca 40 milioni e li restituisce a Fideuram.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'All’appello, però, sinora mancano almeno 36 milioni volatilizzatisi nei vorticosi giri di conti esteri, e a un certo punto convertiti in criptovalute'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'con un tentativo di portare via alla banca del gruppo Intesa quasi 95 milioni, di cui, stando agli atti, ora mancano all'appello, però, solo 39,5 milioni'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Decreto con cui sono stati congelati oltre 13 milioni su una banca portoghese, mentre 42 li aveva già stoppati Fideuram su conti cinesi.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Ciò che ritorna a Fideuram sono i 42 milioni bonificati alla Bank of China. Dei restanti 52, solo 13 vengono bloccati da Bpi e poi messi sotto sequestro dal Tribunale.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Il 25 febbraio, appena due giorni dopo il primo contatto, Banco BPI segnala a Fideuram la natura sospetta delle operazioni.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"'i sistemi di sicurezza interna di Fideuram si allertano rapidamente'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Fideuram's controls and the Portuguese bank raised the alarm; about 40-42 million euros sent to Bank of China were returned, 13 million were seized at Banco BPI in Portugal, and at least 36 million (39.5 million per the court papers) remain missing after being moved through foreign accounts and converted into cryptocurrency.","causal_attribution":"Figures differ between outlets: Corriere gives 40 million returned and at least 36 million missing; ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano, from the decree, give 42 million returned and 39.5 million missing."},{"id":"c5","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Fideuram - Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking ha reso noto che Paolo Molesini ha rassegnato le dimissioni dalla carica di presidente della società e di presidente di Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking, per ragioni personali.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'Intanto Molesini, non indagato e non destinatario di alcun contenzioso avviato dal proprio istituto, il 12 marzo scorso aveva comunque scelto di dimettersi da presidente (come informò un asettico comunicato di Fideuram) «per ragioni personali».'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Molesini, che non è indagato e non ha ricevuto contestazioni da parte dell’istituto, aveva annunciato a marzo le proprie dimissioni dalla presidenza di Fideuram «per ragioni personali».'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Fideuram announced on 12 March 2026 that Molesini had resigned as chairman of Fideuram - Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking and of Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking for personal reasons.","causal_attribution":"The company's stated reason is personal; the announcement did not mention the fraud."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Il manager coinvolto, una volta resosi conto dell’accaduto, ha deciso di rassegnare le dimissioni.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"'Ma il povero presidente ha dovuto presentare le dimissioni.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"'il 12 marzo scorso aveva comunque scelto di dimettersi da presidente'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Press accounts link the resignation to the fraud: Corriere writes that he had nonetheless chosen to resign, Milano Finanza that once he realised what had happened he decided to resign, and today.it that he had to resign.","causal_attribution":"Journalistic attribution; neither Fideuram nor Molesini has publicly linked the resignation to the fraud in the inspected sources."},{"id":"c7","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Nel caso di Molesini, che si è dimesso a marzo, è indagato come uno dei componenti della banda un cittadino israeliano di 48 anni.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'è risalita almeno a un 48enne israeliano correlato a uno dei conti esteri dove sono atterrati 4 milioni'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'le rogatorie serviranno a verificare se i suoi documenti corrispondano veramente a una persona in carne ed ossa'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"A 48-year-old Israeli citizen is under investigation as a member of the gang, named in the investigating judge's seizure decree that froze over 13 million euros at a Portuguese bank; investigators are pursuing the funds with international letters rogatory.","causal_attribution":"Corriere notes it is unverified whether the suspect's identity documents correspond to a real person."},{"id":"c8","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Intanto Molesini, non indagato e non destinatario di alcun contenzioso avviato dal proprio istituto'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Molesini, che non è indagato e non ha ricevuto contestazioni da parte dell’istituto'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Corriere della Sera writes that Molesini is not under investigation and is not the target of any litigation by his institution.","causal_attribution":"Corriere's statement, relayed by La Stampa and others; ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano do not address it."}],"effects":[{"label":"deceived by a phone call in an AI-cloned voice and impersonation messages into ordering about 95 million euros of transfers, of which at least 36 million remain missing; resigned as chairman on 12 March 2026, weeks later","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_settembre_25/fideuram-truffa-falso-messaggio-whatsapp-molesini-milioni-d5248b46-a7e7-4130-8c74-e09be5e00xlk.shtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (Corriere della Sera Milano, 25 September 2026, byline Luigi Ferrarella; the original reconstruction from the court papers, credited by Il Sole 24 Ore, La Stampa, Il Post, Tgcom24 and Bluerating). Researcher translation.","independence_group":"corriere-ferrarella"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cronaca/2026/09/25/truffa-da-395-milioni-allex-capo-di-fideuram-un-indagato_f747847d-aaa5-4f5f-9bee-1d476b6bea1e.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (ANSA, 25 September 2026; the earlier ANSA URL 'lex-capo-di-fideuram-truffato-con-whatsapp-e-ia-spariti-36-milioni' redirects to this updated item). Quotes the investigating judge's decree directly ('stando agli atti'). Researcher translation.","independence_group":"ansa-decree-read"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/09/25/una-telefonata-dallad-di-intesa-via-ai-bonifici-per-95-milioni-ma-era-tutto-finto-la-storia-della-truffa-a-fideuram-indagato-informatico-israeliano/8518472/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (Il Fatto Quotidiano, 25 September 2026). Credits Corriere for the story but quotes the five-page seizure decree at length with details absent from Corriere and ANSA (transfer dates and beneficiaries, the real CEO's warning call). Its headline attributes the AI voice to Messina, contrary to the decree passages it quotes. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"fatto-decree-read"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.lastampa.it/cronaca/2026/09/25/news/fideuram_truffa_36_milioni_whatsapp_voce_clonata_ai_molesini-15748791/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (La Stampa, 25 September 2026); explicitly a rewrite of Corriere della Sera's reconstruction. Researcher translation. Its HTML page title reads 'voce del ceo clonata con l'AI', contrary to its own body, which attributes the cloned voice to the lawyer.","independence_group":"corriere-ferrarella"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/economia/risparmio_Investimenti/2026/03/12/paolo-molesini-lascia-la-carica-di-presidente-di-fideuram_34e2dec8-5bba-4ca3-b569-aa638d534e2e.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (ANSA, 12 March 2026); relays Fideuram's announcement of the resignation. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"fideuram-announcement"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_settembre_26/truffa-fideuram-ifis-frodi-14e046de-a157-4b21-aaf7-444b75961xlk.shtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (Corriere della Sera Milano, 26 September 2026); follow-up on the suspect and the money trail; the page's paywall banner appears after the article text, which was complete. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"corriere-ferrarella"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.today.it/dossier/economia/banca-fideuram-truffa-milioni-spariti-come-hanno-fatto.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (today.it, 29 September 2026); cites the Milan seizure decree for the transfer dates and the 95.18 million total. It names Fideuram's treasury head, who is not named in this record. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"today-decree-read"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.milanofinanza.it/news/fideuram-intesa-sanpaolo-l-ex-presidente-paolo-molesini-vittima-di-una-truffa-da-36-milioni-202609251035572085","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (Milano Finanza, 25 September 2026); credits Corriere della Sera; cited only for its own statement linking the resignation to the fraud. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"corriere-ferrarella"},{"id":"s9","url":"https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/ai-messaging-scam-costs-italys-top-bank-intesa-millions-sources-say-2026-09-25/","kind":"news_report","access":"unavailable","language":"en","translation_note":"Not read: HTTP 401 on 2026-09-30 and no Internet Archive capture; the Google News title reads 'AI messaging scam costs Italy's top bank Intesa millions, sources say' (25 September 2026).","independence_group":"reuters-sources"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["work","finance"],"unknowns":["Which voice-cloning tool was used and whether any recording or forensic analysis of the call exists; the AI attribution rests on press accounts of the court papers (Corriere della Sera, ANSA, Il Fatto Quotidiano), while today.it, also citing the seizure decree, writes that the court papers do not yet answer whether the voice was imitated.","Whether Molesini's resignation was connected to the fraud: Fideuram gave personal reasons and no source quotes Molesini on the point.","Whether the WhatsApp messages impersonating Messina and Fideuram's CEO or the emails involved any AI tool.","The exact unrecovered amount: 36 million (Corriere) or 39.5 million (ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano from the decree).","Whether the named suspect is a real person and whether other suspects have been identified; the Reuters report (sources) was not read."],"geography":{"basis":"The contact reached the chairman of Fideuram, a Milan-based Intesa Sanpaolo subsidiary, and the investigation is by the Milan prosecutors and investigating judge (ANSA; Corriere). Molesini was born in Feltre (ANSA, 12 March 2026) and his career is described in Milan (Il Gazzettino). The transfers went to accounts in Portugal and at Bank of China (Il Fatto Quotidiano) and the seizure in Portugal was obtained with Lisbon authorities under Eurojust, but the court order is the Milan judge's, so only IT is recorded as a court country.","court_countries":["IT"],"event_countries":["IT"],"affected_person_countries":["IT"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case: an AI-cloned voice communicated with the affected person (a bank chairman, named in his official capacity as all sources do) and impersonated a lawyer he knew, inducing him to order transfers of about 95 million euros, of which at least 36 million remain missing; he resigned on 12 March 2026, weeks later, announced as for personal reasons. Three independent reads of the Milan court papers (Corriere della Sera, ANSA, Il Fatto Quotidiano) plus the March resignation announcement (ANSA). The financial loss fell on the institution; the personal consequence recorded is the deception itself and the resignation as reported.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"ANSA ('Quell'avvocato, con voce finta creata con l'IA, poi lo contattò') and Il Fatto Quotidiano ('un avvocato dello studio A&O Sherman chiama Molesini, ma è sempre l'IA che sta parlando'), narrating the investigating judge's seizure decree, and Corriere della Sera's reconstruction from the court papers ('i truffatori l'hanno replicata ad arte con strumenti di intelligenza artificiale') describe the lawyer's voice on the call as created with AI. None of the decree passages these outlets quote verbatim contains the AI attribution, and today.it, which also cites the decree, writes that the court papers do not yet answer whether the voice was imitated ('sulla quale gli atti non offrono ancora una risposta: la possibile imitazione della voce'). No forensic detail, recording or tool is reported. The WhatsApp messages impersonating Messina and the Fideuram CEO and the emails are not described as AI-made in the decree passages quoted. Il Fatto Quotidiano's headline attributes the AI voice to Messina, which its own quoted decree passages do not support. The cloned voice spoke with Molesini (communicated_with) and impersonated the lawyer (depicted_or_impersonated).","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Italy: Fideuram chairman Paolo Molesini is deceived by a WhatsApp impersonation of Intesa Sanpaolo's CEO and a phone call in the reportedly AI-cloned voice of a lawyer he knew into ordering about 95 million euros of transfers; at least 36 million remain missing and he resigned on 12 March 2026, weeks later","summary":"On 23 February 2026 Paolo Molesini, then chairman of Fideuram (the private-banking subsidiary of Intesa Sanpaolo), received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number from someone claiming to be Intesa's chief executive Carlo Messina, announcing a confidential acquisition that had to be executed through Fideuram. The same day a caller presenting as a lawyer of A&O Shearman whom Molesini knew, whose voice ANSA, Il Fatto Quotidiano and Corriere della Sera, reporting from the Milan court papers, describe as created with artificial intelligence (today.it, which also cites the seizure decree, writes that the court papers do not yet answer whether the voice was imitated), had him sign a confidentiality agreement and sent eleven payment instructions; Fideuram's treasury head was separately contacted by someone posing as Fideuram's CEO. Between 23 and 25 February eleven transfers totalling about 95 million euros went to accounts in Portugal and at Bank of China; the bank's alarm systems and the Milan prosecutors recovered about 40-42 million from China and 13 million seized in Portugal, leaving at least 36 million (39.5 million per the court papers) missing after conversion into cryptocurrency. Molesini, who Corriere writes is not under investigation, resigned as chairman on 12 March 2026, which Fideuram announced as being for personal reasons; a 48-year-old Israeli citizen is under investigation as a member of the gang.","incidentDate":"2026-02-23","incidentEndDate":"2026-02-25","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-25","aiSystem":"Voice of a business lawyer replicated with artificial-intelligence tools for a phone call to the Fideuram chairman, as described by Corriere della Sera, ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano in their accounts of the Milan court papers; today.it, also citing the seizure decree, writes that the court papers do not yet answer whether the voice was imitated; the tool is not identified. The WhatsApp messages and emails are not described as AI-made","aiProduct":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss","professional_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Fideuram lost about 95 million euros in transfers ordered by its deceived chairman, of which at least 36 million (39.5 million per the court papers) remain missing (Corriere della Sera and ANSA, from the Milan seizure decree); the chairman resigned on 12 March 2026, about two and a half weeks after the transfers, announced by the bank as for personal reasons, which Corriere, Milano Finanza and today.it link to the fraud.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, Paolo Molesini, who was called by the AI-cloned voice and induced to order the transfers (ANSA; Corriere; Il Fatto Quotidiano). The impersonated lawyer and the impersonated CEO are not counted; no harm to them is reported. Fideuram's treasury head, contacted by a person posing as Fideuram's CEO (ANSA 'contattato', Il Fatto Quotidiano 'chiamato', today.it 'messaggio WhatsApp'; no source describes AI in that contact), is not counted. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IT","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_settembre_25/fideuram-truffa-falso-messaggio-whatsapp-molesini-milioni-d5248b46-a7e7-4130-8c74-e09be5e00xlk.shtml","primarySourceLabel":"Corriere della Sera (Milano), 25 September 2026: Il falso messaggio WhatsApp inviato all'ex presidente Fideuram e la telefonata contraffatta con l'AI","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:31.372024+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:31.372024+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["voice-cloning","ceo-fraud","impersonation","whatsapp","banking","italy","milan","financial-loss","resignation","criminal-investigation"]},{"id":"2026-russia-chatgpt-phishing-crypto-theft","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'ChatGPT... выдала ссылку на страницу, которая оказалась сайтом мошенников'; '1 904 513 FXRP — примерно $2,1 млн'; 'unlimited approval'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'12 июня 2026 года... обменять токены sFLR на WFLR. Он посоветовался с ChatGPT'; 'ссылка на sceptre.network — точную копию легитимного сервиса sceptre.fi'; '1 904 513 FXRP — примерно $2,1 млн'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Криптоинвестор потерял около 180 миллионов рублей после перехода по фишинговой ссылке, которую посоветовал ChatGPT'; 'похитили около 2,1 миллиона долларов'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"On 12 June 2026 a Russian-speaking investor asked ChatGPT in Russian where to swap sFLR for WFLR; ChatGPT returned a link to sceptre.network, a phishing clone of sceptre.fi; he connected his wallet, signed an unlimited-approval transaction, and about 1.9 million FXRP (~$2.1 million) were drained.","causal_attribution":"The on-chain analysis (VAL, carried by s1/s2/s4) and the MVD confirmation (s3) are independent chains for the loss and the ChatGPT-link mechanism."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'фишинговая ссылка появлялась только в ответах на русском языке. При аналогичных запросах на других языках ChatGPT её не выдавал. Мошенники целенаправленно \"отравляли\" данные для русскоязычных пользователей.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Сейчас фишинговая ссылка больше не появляется в ChatGPT'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The phishing link appeared only in ChatGPT's Russian-language answers, indicating deliberate data-poisoning targeting Russian-speaking users; the link no longer appears.","causal_attribution":"Reported by the blockchain analyst (VAL) and carried by the Russian tech press; not independently verified by the MVD."},{"id":"c3","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'сообщили РАПСИ в пресс-службе Управления по организации борьбы с противоправным использованием информационно-коммуникационных технологий МВД РФ'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Russia's Interior Ministry (MVD) confirmed the loss of about 180 million rubles ($2.1 million).","causal_attribution":"Attributed to the MVD press service via RAPSI."}],"effects":[{"label":"crypto investor lost about $2.1 million after acting on a phishing link ChatGPT returned to a Russian-language query","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://bits.media/kriptopoinvestor-lishilsya-2-1-mln-iz-za-ssylki-v-otvete-chatgpt/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-09-04). Relays blockchain analyst VAL's on-chain investigation: sFLR/WFLR query, sceptre.network phishing clone, 1.9M FXRP (~$2.1M) drained via unlimited approval, Tornado Cash routing. Model reading; no human bilingual review.","independence_group":"val-report"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://vc.ru/ai/3122620-kak-ii-obmanul-kriptovinvestora-na-milliony-dollarov","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-09-05). Names the 12 June 2026 date, alias Alex, the unlimited-approval signing, and that the phishing link appeared only in Russian-language answers. Derives from VAL's report. Model reading.","independence_group":"val-report"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://rapsinews.ru/digital_law_news/20260911/312188548.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-17 (RAPSI, 11 Sep 2026). Attributes the confirmation to the press service of the MVD's unit for combating unlawful use of ICT: ~180 million rubles / ~$2.1M lost after a ChatGPT-provided phishing link. Independent official confirmation. Model reading.","independence_group":"mvd"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://hi-tech.mail.ru/news/154924-chatgpt-podsunul-fishingovuyu-ssylku-kriptoinvestor/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-09-07). Russian tech-press account derived from VAL's report. Model reading.","independence_group":"val-report"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["finance"],"unknowns":["The investor's full identity and exact location within Russia are not established; only the alias Alex/@vesnuhin is public.","No arrests or defendants are identified.","Whether OpenAI has acknowledged or acted on the reported Russian-language data-poisoning is not established in the inspected sources."],"geography":{"basis":"The investor is Russian-speaking and the case was confirmed by Russia's Interior Ministry (RAPSI). Event and affected-person country recorded as Russia on that basis. No court proceeding established.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["RU"],"affected_person_countries":["RU"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter, which includes fraud and security consequences in scope. A crypto investor acted on a phishing link ChatGPT returned to his Russian-language query and lost about $2.1 million; the loss is confirmed independently by Russia's Interior Ministry and traced on-chain by a blockchain analyst. Causation of the AI's role (surfacing the phishing link) is supported; the theft was executed by scam operators.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-17"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Multiple technology outlets and a blockchain analyst report that the phishing link appeared in ChatGPT's answer to the investor's Russian-language question, and Russia's Interior Ministry confirmed to RAPSI that the loss followed a phishing link ChatGPT provided. The theft itself was executed by the scam operators; ChatGPT's role was surfacing the phishing link, reportedly only in Russian-language responses.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with"]},"name":"Russia: a crypto investor lost about $2.1 million after ChatGPT returned a phishing link in answer to a token-swap question","summary":"On 12 June 2026 a Russian-speaking crypto investor, known by the alias Alex (@vesnuhin), asked ChatGPT in Russian where to swap sFLR for WFLR tokens. ChatGPT's reply included a link to sceptre.network, a phishing clone of the legitimate sceptre.fi. He connected his wallet and signed an unlimited-approval transaction; within seconds about 1.9 million FXRP, worth roughly $2.1 million (about 180 million rubles), were drained. A blockchain analyst traced the theft, and reported that the phishing link appeared only in Russian-language answers. Russia's Interior Ministry (MVD) later confirmed the loss.","incidentDate":"2026-06-12","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-09-04","aiSystem":"ChatGPT (OpenAI)","aiProduct":"ChatGPT","aiCompany":"OpenAI","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A crypto investor lost about $2.1 million (some 180 million rubles) after connecting his wallet to a phishing site whose link ChatGPT had returned in answer to a Russian-language token-swap question; Russia's Interior Ministry confirmed the loss.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One affected person: the investor who acted on the ChatGPT-provided link and lost about $2.1 million. VAL's report that a related scheme netted more than $2.2 million from other users is not used as a person count.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"RU","platformType":"assistant","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://bits.media/kriptopoinvestor-lishilsya-2-1-mln-iz-za-ssylki-v-otvete-chatgpt/","primarySourceLabel":"bits.media, 4 September 2026: crypto investor lost ~$2.1M after a phishing link in a ChatGPT answer (blockchain analyst VAL on-chain analysis)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-17T03:27:42.903846+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:51.152539+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["chatgpt","openai","phishing","crypto","financial-loss","data-poisoning","russia","communicated-with"]}]}