A matrimonial scam in Maharashtra took a new turn with the alleged use of AI voice cloning. Police arrested 26-year-old Sanket Sachin Chavan, who created a fake matrimony profile of ‘Dr. Sayali Patil,’ and used four different voices to scam a doctor and his father of Rs. 11.8 lakh. He also used photos taken from Instagram to make the profile look real.
Chavan allegedly played four different people during phone calls. Taking the help of AI voice cloning, the scammer created four fictional characters: Dr. Sayali Patil, her brother Lokesh and Manmat Desale, and a retired uncle. Additionally, he claimed connections to prominent doctors in Nashik.
Police said he collected cash from the victim and also took the ATM card. The card was later used for online purchases and other expenses. A complaint filed on August 22 helped police start the investigation. Technical checks then helped them trace the accused.
Voice cloning can copy the sound of a person using a voice sample. AI can then create new speech that sounds similar to that voice. It can make a scam call sound more believable without the person actually having that voice.
For Chavan, police said the technology helped him switch between different fake identities. Each voice added another layer to the story he was telling the victim. Police said Chavan had allegedly targeted doctors, engineers and NRIs in similar matrimonial scams. Investigators also found cases linked to him in different places.
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The case shows how quickly common online scams can change. Fake profiles are nothing new. AI-generated voices can now make those profiles seem more real. For people using matrimonial websites, basic checks still matter. Meeting someone or hearing their voice does not prove that the person is who they claim to be. Money and personal details should never be shared without proper verification.