Cybercriminals Exploit AI to Clone Voices of Sports Stars for Scams
Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to clone the voices of famous athletes, including basketball and football players. While audio scams are not new, the rise of AI-driven voice cloning has made these threats more sophisticated and widespread.
These scams are often used to deceive victims into providing sensitive information or large sums of money. Cybercriminals have successfully used voice cloning to impersonate business executives, tricking companies into transferring millions of dollars.
One notable case, reported by Forbes, involved criminals cloning a company director’s voice in the United Arab Emirates, leading to a $35 million theft. Similarly, The Wall Street Journal covered an incident where deepfake audio was used to pose as a company's CEO, enabling fraudsters to steal €220,000 ($243,000).
AI Deepfakes Targeting Celebrities and the General Public
Beyond corporate fraud, cybercriminals also exploit AI to clone the voices of celebrities—including famous athletes—to scam the general public. Fans, unaware that they are interacting with AI-generated voices, may be tricked into handing over personal data or money.
Most Frequently Cloned Athlete Voices
Recent research by SeatPick and AI experts at AIPRM has identified the most frequently deepfaked sports personalities:
Cristiano Ronaldo – The football star and Instagram’s most-followed celebrity has had his voice cloned over 5,500 times, making him the most frequently deepfaked athlete.
LeBron James – The American basketball player and power forward ranks second, with his voice cloned more than 4,700 times. While some of these deepfakes may be harmless fan creations, others pose risks of deception.
Patrick Mahomes – The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is the third most-cloned athlete, with over 3,000 instances of AI-generated audio using his voice.
Other popular athletes whose voices have been cloned include Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé.
As AI technology continues to evolve, the risk of voice cloning scams will likely increase, making it crucial for individuals and businesses to stay vigilant. Verifying identities before sharing sensitive information and raising awareness about deepfake scams can help mitigate potential risks.
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