GoKawiilAI voice-clone scam moved €95 million out of Italy's Fideuram bank
Fideuram chairman Paolo Molesini was deceived by a fake WhatsApp message posing as Intesa Sanpaolo CEO Carlo Messina and a follow-up call using an AI-generated voice impersonating a law firm partner. Believing the request was legitimate, Fideuram wired €95 million to accounts in China and Hong Kong before staff spotted irregularities. Authorities in Italy, Portugal and China helped recover €53 million, and Molesini has since resigned.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The incident shows how AI voice cloning can now bypass senior executives' judgment even at major financial institutions, raising the bar for verification protocols on high-value transfers. It suggests banks may need new authentication standards that don't rely on voice or messaging trust alone, since traditional social-engineering defenses appear outdated against generative AI tools.
- Fideuram lost €95 million to an AI voice-clone and fake-message scam targeting its chairman
- Only €53 million has been recovered so far through international cooperation
- Chairman Paolo Molesini resigned following the incident
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Published there as: “Scammers used an AI voice clone and a fake WhatsApp message to move €95 million out of an Italian bank”
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