Victoria Police Warn of AI Voice Scam Targeting Mandarin Speakers

Victoria Police issued a warning on Thursday, 1 October 2026, alerting the public to a phone scam operating across Victoria that uses artificial intelligence to impersonate medical professionals and defraud victims, particularly targeting the Mandarin-speaking community.

According to police, investigators first received reports of the scheme in early September and have since logged 10 separate reports. Fraudsters have posed as doctors, general practitioners, or surgeons, addressing victims by name to build credibility before instructing them to buy gift cards and send the redemption codes via text message.

Several reports indicated that scammers used AI voice cloning technology during the calls. In one case, a scammer mimicked the voice of a known professional, claiming to call from a secondary number, and pressured a victim into buying $50,000 worth of gift cards over three days under the guise of business gifts. The victim discovered the fraud after contacting the professional's verified phone number. In another incident, a scammer exploited a victim's urgent health conditions, demanding photos of scratched-off gift card PIN codes until the victim suffered a $40,000 loss.

Detective Acting Inspector Eleanor Vallas of the Cybercrime Squad stated that fraudsters are leveraging AI technology to execute the scheme. Vallas advised anyone contacted by alleged medical professionals requesting gift card purchases to refuse the demands, avoid transferring funds, and verify callers independently before acting.

Police urged the Mandarin-speaking community to stay alert, hang up on suspicious calls, protect personal information, and report incidents to Victoria Police, ReportCyber, or Crime Stoppers. The warning was issued in conjunction with Cyber Security Awareness Month, observed annually in October.

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