{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-10-09T05:22:34.358Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"phone_scam","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"","evidence":"","year":"","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":2,"coverage":{"cases":2,"countries":1,"languages":1,"unknownLocation":0,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":1,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":0,"minors":0,"coreRelations":2,"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":"2026-marche-town-parish-priest-voice-cloned-in-ai-voice-messages-requesting-money-mayor-alert","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'È l’allarme lanciato dal sindaco Mauro Sclavi durante la seduta di ieri del consiglio comunale, dopo che in città si sono registrati alcuni tentativi di truffa.'; 'ad altre sono arrivati messaggi vocali nei quali venivano avanzate richieste di denaro utilizzando la voce e il nome di don Ariel Valentin Veloz, parroco dell’Unità pastorale numero 8.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Alcuni cittadini hanno, infatti, ricevuto telefonate da persone che si sono presentate come carabinieri di Macerata oppure messaggi vocali nei quali, attraverso una voce artificiale, venivano avanzate richieste di denaro a nome del parroco della chiesa di San Francesco.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"At the council session of 24 September 2026 the mayor of Tolentino reported that some residents had received voice messages requesting money that used the voice and name of the parish priest, and that others had been called by people posing as carabinieri from Macerata.","causal_attribution":"Both papers report the mayor's statement at the same council session (one origin)."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A rendere particolarmente insidiosi i messaggi è l’utilizzo dell’intelligenza artificiale, che ha consentito di riprodurre in maniera fedele anche il tipico accento sudamericano del sacerdote'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Secondo quanto riferito dal sindaco, i truffatori avrebbero utilizzato strumenti di intelligenza artificiale per riprodurre in maniera estremamente fedele la voce e il tipico accento sudamericano del sacerdote'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"According to the mayor, as reported by both papers, the voice messages were made with artificial intelligence, which reproduced the priest's voice and his South American accent faithfully.","causal_attribution":"The AI description is the mayor's, relayed by both papers; no tool or technical examination is reported."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'«Non cadete nelle trappola, non sono io».'; '«L’altro giorno un fedele mi ha chiamato dicendomi che la madre aveva ricevuto un simile messaggio e gli ho detto che era una truffa».'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The priest said a parishioner had called him saying the parishioner's mother had received such a message, that he told him it was a scam, and he warned parishioners that the voice was not his.","causal_attribution":"The priest's own statements to Corriere Adriatico; the parishioner and his mother are not otherwise described."}],"effects":[{"label":"voice and name used in AI-made messages requesting money from residents; had to warn parishioners publicly","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.corriereadriatico.it/macerata/intelligenza_artificiale_allarme_truffe_messaggi_vocali_la_voce_di_don_ariel-9783721.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read in Italian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-09 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. Reports the mayor's council statement and adds the priest's own statements to the paper; HTTP 200.","independence_group":"tolentino-council-session-24-sep-2026"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://picchionews.it/cronaca/tolentino-sono-don-ariel-ma-e-una-truffa-la-voce-del-parroco-clonata-dall-intelligenza-artificiale","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read in Italian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-09 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. Reports the same council statement by the mayor; HTTP 200.","independence_group":"tolentino-council-session-24-sep-2026"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life"],"unknowns":["When the messages were sent, how many residents received them and through which messaging service.","Who produced the messages and with what tool; no examination confirms the AI description.","Whether anyone paid money or filed a complaint.","Whether the fake-carabinieri calls and the voice messages came from the same people."],"geography":{"basis":"Both papers place the messages, the recipients and the parish in Tolentino, Marche, Italy, and the alert at the town council. Where the messages were produced is not stated. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IT"],"affected_person_countries":["IT"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated, communicated_with) at low severity: a town mayor, speaking at a council session reported by two local papers, described voice messages made with artificial intelligence that reproduced the parish priest's voice and accent and used his name to request money from residents; the priest confirmed a parishioner's mother had received one and publicly warned parishioners it was not him. The priest is a public community figure named in both headlines; no recipient is identified, no payment or loss is reported and no tool is named.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-09"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The mayor of Tolentino, as reported by Corriere Adriatico and Picchio News from the council session of 24 September 2026, described voice messages counterfeited with artificial intelligence that reproduced the parish priest's voice and South American accent and used his name to request money from residents. That generated imitation is the reported harm: the priest's identity was used toward his parishioners, one parishioner's mother received a message, and the priest publicly told parishioners the voice was not his. No tool is named, no examination is reported and the research agent did not hear the messages.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated","communicated_with"]},"name":"Mayor of an Italian town reports AI-made voice messages in the parish priest's voice asking residents for money; the priest warns parishioners it is not him","summary":"At the Tolentino (Marche, Italy) council session of 24 September 2026 the mayor, Mauro Sclavi, reported attempted scams in the town: some residents had been telephoned by people posing as carabinieri from Macerata, and others had received voice messages requesting money that used the voice and name of the parish priest of the town's pastoral unit. According to the mayor, as reported by Corriere Adriatico and Picchio News, the messages were made with artificial intelligence, which reproduced the priest's voice and his South American accent faithfully. The priest told Corriere Adriatico that a parishioner had called him saying the parishioner's mother had received such a message, that he had told him it was a scam, and he warned parishioners: 'Non cadete nelle trappola, non sono io'. No payment, loss or identified victim is reported; the mayor asked residents to verify callers and report attempts to the police.","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-24","aiSystem":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool, described by the mayor of Tolentino (as reported by Corriere Adriatico and Picchio News) as artificial intelligence used to reproduce the parish priest's voice and accent in voice messages requesting money","aiProduct":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The parish priest's voice and name were used, according to the mayor's council statement as reported by Corriere Adriatico and Picchio News, in AI-made voice messages asking residents for money; a parishioner's mother received one, and the priest publicly warned parishioners that it was not him. No payment or loss is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person counted: the parish priest whose voice and name were used in the money-request messages (Corriere Adriatico, Picchio News). Residents who received the messages are described only as 'alcune persone' (Corriere Adriatico) and 'alcuni cittadini' (Picchio News), with one parishioner's mother mentioned by the priest; they are intended targets of the money requests, no harm to any recipient is described, and they are not counted, so the count is complete at one. People called by fake carabinieri are a separate method and not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IT","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.corriereadriatico.it/macerata/intelligenza_artificiale_allarme_truffe_messaggi_vocali_la_voce_di_don_ariel-9783721.html","primarySourceLabel":"Corriere Adriatico, 25 September 2026: artificial intelligence, scam alarm in Tolentino too: voice messages with the voice of don Ariel","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-09T03:23:01.414399+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-09T03:23:01.414399+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["voice_cloning","impersonation","phone_scam","religious_community","italy"]},{"id":"2026-varese-province-elderly-mother-rushes-out-after-call-in-suspected-ai-cloned-daughter-voice","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'«Mamma, mi sono tagliata alla gola. Vieni ad aiutarmi». Una telefonata angosciante, una richiesta di soccorso dal tono drammatico.'; 'è corsa immediatamente a casa della figlia che abita nello stesso comune. Aperta la porta, col cuore ancora in gola, l'ha trovata tranquilla, seduta sul divano, senza alcuna ferita.'; 'È successo mercoledì 8 luglio.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'L'episodio, avvenuto mercoledì 8 luglio, ha immediatamente fatto scattare l'allarme.'; 'la figlia era tranquilla, seduta sul divano e soprattutto senza alcuna ferita.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"On Wednesday 8 July 2026 a 71-year-old woman in Azzate received a landline call in what sounded like her daughter's voice saying she had a cut throat and asking for help; she ran to her daughter's home in the same town and found her unharmed.","causal_attribution":"The account comes from the daughter as told to La Prealpina; La Provincia di Varese republishes the same account (one origin)."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Lo racconta la figlia, di 43 anni, che si è rivolta ai carabinieri'; 'Voce clonata? «Sembrerebbe proprio di sì e mi hanno detto che non è stato il mio l'unico caso in zona in questi giorni».'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'qualcuno potrebbe aver clonato la sua voce utilizzando l’intelligenza artificiale.'; 'la 43enne ha risposto: «Sembrerebbe proprio di sì e mi hanno detto che non è stato il mio l’unico caso in zona in questi giorni».'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The daughter, who went to the carabinieri, said the caller's voice was her own and that it appeared to have been cloned, adding that she had been told it was not the only such case in the area in those days.","causal_attribution":"The cloning is the daughter's supposition and the newspapers' framing; who told her of other cases is not stated and no examination is reported."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Fare in modo che la persona allertata per il soccorso esca subito di casa, in modo da permettere ai ladri di agire indisturbati. Nel caso della 71enne, il rientro quasi contestuale del marito potrebbe aver rovinato il piano'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Il rientro quasi contemporaneo del marito avrebbe infatti impedito ai malviventi di approfittare dell’assenza della donna.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The newspapers present the call as a probable attempt to make the woman leave her house so that thieves could enter, and suggest her husband's return at about the same time may have foiled it; no theft is reported.","causal_attribution":"The aim is the newspapers' reconstruction, written in the conditional; no intrusion, theft or suspect is reported."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Mia madre andrà domani a sporgere denuncia e, con le indagini autorizzate dal magistrato, si potrà probabilmente risalire all'utenza'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'La madre dovrebbe presentare denuncia e gli eventuali accertamenti disposti dalla magistratura potrebbero consentire agli investigatori di risalire all’utenza dalla quale è partita la chiamata.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The mother was to file a formal complaint, and the newspapers say inquiries authorised by a magistrate could trace the calling number.","causal_attribution":"Stated by the daughter on 8 July 2026; whether the complaint was filed or the number traced is not reported."}],"effects":[{"label":"ran from home in fear after a call in a suspected cloned voice announcing her daughter's injury","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.prealpina.it/news/valli-e-laghi/517712/azzate-truffa-telefonica-con-voce-clonata-della-figlia.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read in Italian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-09 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. Original local report quoting the daughter; HTTP 200.","independence_group":"daughter-account-prealpina-8-jul-2026"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.laprovinciadivarese.it/mamma-mi-sono-tagliata-alla-gola-la-voce-della-figlia-e-clonata-anziana-di-azzate-corre-a-casa-e-scopre-la-truffa-411722/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read in Italian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-09 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. Republication of the same account three months later with the same quotations; HTTP 200.","independence_group":"daughter-account-prealpina-8-jul-2026"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life","relationships"],"unknowns":["Whether the voice was generated with an AI tool, by whom, and with what tool; no examination or investigator statement is reported.","Whether the mother filed the complaint and whether the calling number was traced.","Whether anyone attempted to enter the house; the burglary aim is the newspapers' reconstruction.","What the other cases in the area mentioned to the daughter were.","La Provincia di Varese writes that the call came 'nei giorni scorsi' in a 7 October 2026 article while also dating it to Wednesday 8 July; the record follows the 8 July date given by both papers."],"geography":{"basis":"Both newspapers place the call and the daughter's home in Azzate, province of Varese, Italy, and the report to the carabinieri there. Where the call originated is not stated. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IT"],"affected_person_countries":["IT"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (communicated_with, depicted_or_impersonated) at low severity with AI involvement suspected: a local newspaper quotes the impersonated daughter saying the voice on the call was hers and appeared cloned, the call's content (an injury and a plea for help) is described, and the mother's fright and rush from home follow from it; no loss or theft occurred. No tool is identified and no investigator confirms AI generation, which the record states. No person is named.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-09"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The call's content is described: a voice the mother took for her daughter's said she had a cut throat and asked her to come and help, and the mother ran out of her home in fear. The daughter told La Prealpina that the voice was her own and, asked whether it was cloned, said it appeared so and that she had been told of other cases in the area; both newspapers describe a possible scam by voice cloning through artificial intelligence. No investigator, examiner or tool identification confirms AI generation, so the status is suspected and the connection between the imitated voice and the mother's fright rests on the daughter's and the newspapers' account.","status":"suspected"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Elderly woman in Varese province rushes out after a landline call in what sounded like her daughter's voice claiming injury; daughter suspects an AI voice clone","summary":"On Wednesday 8 July 2026 a 71-year-old woman in Azzate, in the province of Varese (Italy), answered a landline call in which a voice she took to be her daughter's said she had a cut throat and begged her to come and help. She ran to her daughter's home in the same town and found her unharmed on the sofa. The daughter, who went to the carabinieri, told La Prealpina that the caller's voice was her own and that it appeared to have been cloned, adding that she had been told it was not the only such case in the area in those days. The newspaper and La Provincia di Varese, which republished the account on 7 October 2026, present the call as a probable attempt to draw the woman out of her house so that thieves could enter, and suggest her husband's return at about the same time may have foiled it. No theft or loss is reported; the mother was to file a formal complaint. No investigator or examiner is reported to have confirmed that the voice was generated with AI.","incidentDate":"2026-07-08","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-07-08","aiSystem":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool, suspected by the impersonated daughter and described by both newspapers as a possible cloning of her voice through artificial intelligence; no tool is named and no investigator confirmation is reported","aiProduct":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool (suspected)","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The mother, hearing what she took for her daughter's voice announcing an injury and begging for help, ran to the daughter's house in fear and found her unharmed (La Prealpina, La Provincia di Varese). No theft, loss or injury is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person counted: the 71-year-old mother who received the call and ran to her daughter's home in fear (La Prealpina, La Provincia di Varese). The daughter, whose voice was imitated, reported the matter to the carabinieri; no harm to her is described and she is not counted. The other cases in the area mentioned to the daughter are not described and not counted.","victimAgeRange":"elderly","jurisdiction":"IT","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"pending","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.prealpina.it/news/valli-e-laghi/517712/azzate-truffa-telefonica-con-voce-clonata-della-figlia.html","primarySourceLabel":"La Prealpina, 8 July 2026: Azzate, telephone scam with the daughter's cloned voice","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-09T03:17:31.94477+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-09T03:17:31.94477+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["voice_cloning","impersonation","phone_scam","elderly","italy","family"]}]}