India, Sept. 1 -- Voice-clone scams are no longer sci-fi. In 2025, impersonation fraud using AI is exploding, thanks to realistic deepfake video, cloned speech, and highly tailored messages.

According to Moonlock, such scams surged by 148% this year. That's not hype, it's a clear signal that deception is evolving fast.

Criminals are using increasingly accessible AI to create believable fraud fast, and at scale. The U.S. alone could lose up to $40 billion annually by 2027 to AI-enabled scams. One standout case: an employee in Hong Kong was fooled in a video call by a deepfake CFO and authorized a $25 million transfer

AI impersonation scams are climbing, and they're targeting trust itself. Seeing a known face or hearing a familiar voice ...