Sharon Brightwell: Mother cruelly tricked by AI scammer who used her own daughter's voice to steal from her
Sharon Brightwell fell victim to a scammer after they used her own daughter's voice to convince her she was in trouble. Credit: Sharon Brightwell / Facebook
A mother has fallen victim to a heartless scam after callers used AI to pose as her daughter.
When Sharon Brightwell picked up the phone on July 9 she heard her own daughter tearfully tell her she had been in a car accident.
'There is nobody that could convince me that it wasn't her,' Sharon said. 'I know my daughter's cry,' she told WFLA.
She listened to the caller tell her that she had hit a pregnant woman while texting and driving, and said her phone was confiscated by police.
Then the Florida woman heard a male voice who told her he was the lawyer that would represent her daughter.
He said the daughter was in custody and needed $23,000 to post bail.
Ms Brightwell said the man gave very detailed instructions, and warned her 'not to tell the bank what the money was for' because it would affect her daughter's credit score.
In a state of shock she followed the instructions, withdrew the money and placed it in a box as the man had requested.
Then a driver showed up to her house and collected the package.
This was not the end, and Ms Brightwell received another call telling her the unborn child had died in the womb as a result of the accident, and that the family would not sue if they were paid $46,000.
This is when Ms Brightwell's grandson intervened.
He arranged a phone call with Ms Brightwell's real daughter on the other line.
When Ms Brightwell heard her daughter's voice she 'screamed' and 'broke down'.
Her daughter had been fine the whole time.
The family suspects the scammers used videos from the daughter's social media to accurately replicate her voice in a cruel and emotionally manipulative scam.
They have reported the matter to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and urge other families to take precautions against this sophisticated high-tech scam.
Ms Brightwell's daughter has launched a GoFundMe page to cover the cost of the $23,000.
On the page, she wrote, that the AI cloned voice sounded 'exactly like her'.
'After you hear your child in distress, all logic is out the window. Nothing would have convinced her that wasn't me.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
9 News
6 hours ago
- 9 News
A cat named Leonardo da Pinchy doesn't want your affection, he wants to steal your underwear
His prolific laundry-pinching from clotheslines and bedrooms in the placid beachside neighbourhood of Mairangi Bay has turned 15-month-old Leo into a local celebrity and earned him a new moniker; he now goes by Leonardo da Pinchy. And he's got expensive taste: his frequent hauls include silk boxer shorts, thick men's work socks — preferably with clothespins still attached — and in one mortifying episode for his humans, a brand-new $NZ300 ($274) cashmere sweater. 'My daughter was at home sick and she rang me at work saying, 'It's bad, it's bad, this is the worst thing he's brought in, it's really bad,' Leo's owner, Helen North, said 'Because it was beautiful, I was like, 'Ooh, can I keep that?' But I couldn't.' But the pilfered stash kept piling up: socks (piles), underwear (loads) and even a 5-foot-long stuffed snake (bizarre). On one record-setting day, Leo returned with nine items, enough for a full outfit if you didn't mind a mix of everything from baby clothes to menswear. 'He brought in a jersey this morning at 8:10,' North said. 'The shops hadn't even opened.' With dozens of items unclaimed, the embarrassed owner took her search for Leo's victims wider this month, posting photos of his hauls on a local Facebook page along with an apology and her address. Those who showed up to claim their belongings included a woman who recognised her pink and purple underpants and a boy whose beloved and missing sports jersey was helpfully identifiable by his name printed on the back. The ire North expected over Leo's cat burgling antics didn't eventuate — although one of his targets, who is allergic to cats, now dries her laundry indoors. 'All of our neighbours think he's amazing,' she said. 'Some of them are quite put out that he hasn't actually stolen anything of theirs.' Still, North has tried everything to curb her cat's laundry obsession, from attempting to keep him indoors to leaving out clothes at home for him to steal. No luck. 'He only wants stuff that he shouldn't have,' she said, adding that she was also unwilling to risk an online suggestion that Leo simply needed another playmate. 'He might teach another cat to do this,' North said. Leo's life of crime began when he was first allowed outdoors a year ago, but his family hopes it's just a juvenile phase. 'I hope he grows out of it because I don't want to do this for like, 15 years,' North said. 'This is a lot of admin.' For now, on the streets of Mairangi Bay, Leonardo da Pinchy remains at large. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
7NEWS
9 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Florida: Woman miraculously survives brutal alligator attack during swim with her dog
A woman has miraculously survived a brutal alligator attack. The unnamed 27-year-old was swimming with her dog in Saint Lucie River in Florida as her boyfriend watched from their boat on Wednesday when the terrifying incident unfolded. The alligator bit her hand and wrist, suddenly dragging her below the surface. Martin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted to Facebook that the alligator eventually released the woman and her boyfriend was able to help her pull of the water and drive her back in to the boat ramp at Charlie Leighton Park. She was treated at the scene for serious injuries at 7.51pm before being flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce as a precaution. Her boyfriend and dog were not injured. The Martin County statement said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had responded to the attack and are 'awaiting their trapper to locate the alligator'. Florida is known for its alligators, having an approximately 1.3 million of them. On average there are eight unprovoked alligator attacks in the state each year, according to FWC. This latest incident comes after a young boy died in front of his family when he fell into a waterway and was brutally attacked by crocodiles. Andres Alejandro Santana Hernandez, 14, was walking with his family by the waterway in Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, when tragedy struck on July 18. Before his parents could intervene, crocodiles hidden by the swamp waters launched at him and dragged him beneath the surface. Andres' family watched in horror as the crocodiles pulled the boy further from the water's edge and began tearing into his body. The Mirror reported that it is believed the boy was attacked by a group of Morelet's crocodiles, also known as the Mexican or Belize crocodile, which can grow up to three metres long and typically weigh a staggering 200kg. The species is known for being particularly vicious, and once they reach maturity, they will prey on nearly any animal that enters their territory. Police divers have begun to search the canal for the boy's remains, but it is unclear if they have managed to recover his body.
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Attempted murder charges against wife of celebrated chef after house fire
A woman accused of trying to murder two children in a house fire has been identified as the wife of an Australian-based, internationally acclaimed chef. Hyun Ju Ahn, 37, was arrested on July 17 and charged with two counts of attempted murder after a fire at the family's Chadstone home in Melbourne's southeast on the night of May 21. She is married to Jae Bang, the head chef and owner of the celebrated Freyja restaurant on Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD. The couple and their two children, aged eight and ten, have lived in Melbourne for three years. Emergency services were called to a two-storey home on Terrigal Street in Chadstone at 9.40pm on May 21. A woman and two girls were rescued from the fire and taken to the hospital in a critical condition, police said. Detectives from the Arson and Explosives Squad investigated the fire and charged the 37-year-old woman with attempted murder after a two-month probe. Her case remains before Melbourne Magistrates' Court. A fundraiser, started almost a week before the charges were laid, had raised more than $20,000 to support the family. The GoFundMe page, organised by fellow chefs, said that Mr Bang was away from Melbourne on May 21. It said that the family was "unconscious when the firefighters rescued them". "The family is recovering, but they have no home, no other family in the area, and have many expenses to cover from the fire rescue and hospital stays," it said. The family has moved around the world as opportunities to work abroad arose. Mr Bang worked his way through some of the most respected kitchens in the US, Europe and Asia before moving to Australia in 2022 to open the Nordic-inspired restaurant. He told this masthead in April that, with such a busy schedule at the restaurant, the family relished their time together on the weekend. He said they loved sharing a meal at their favourite Chinese restaurant, Tung Wo, when they had time. A woman accused of trying to murder two children in a house fire has been identified as the wife of an Australian-based, internationally acclaimed chef. Hyun Ju Ahn, 37, was arrested on July 17 and charged with two counts of attempted murder after a fire at the family's Chadstone home in Melbourne's southeast on the night of May 21. She is married to Jae Bang, the head chef and owner of the celebrated Freyja restaurant on Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD. The couple and their two children, aged eight and ten, have lived in Melbourne for three years. Emergency services were called to a two-storey home on Terrigal Street in Chadstone at 9.40pm on May 21. A woman and two girls were rescued from the fire and taken to the hospital in a critical condition, police said. Detectives from the Arson and Explosives Squad investigated the fire and charged the 37-year-old woman with attempted murder after a two-month probe. Her case remains before Melbourne Magistrates' Court. A fundraiser, started almost a week before the charges were laid, had raised more than $20,000 to support the family. The GoFundMe page, organised by fellow chefs, said that Mr Bang was away from Melbourne on May 21. It said that the family was "unconscious when the firefighters rescued them". "The family is recovering, but they have no home, no other family in the area, and have many expenses to cover from the fire rescue and hospital stays," it said. The family has moved around the world as opportunities to work abroad arose. Mr Bang worked his way through some of the most respected kitchens in the US, Europe and Asia before moving to Australia in 2022 to open the Nordic-inspired restaurant. He told this masthead in April that, with such a busy schedule at the restaurant, the family relished their time together on the weekend. He said they loved sharing a meal at their favourite Chinese restaurant, Tung Wo, when they had time. A woman accused of trying to murder two children in a house fire has been identified as the wife of an Australian-based, internationally acclaimed chef. Hyun Ju Ahn, 37, was arrested on July 17 and charged with two counts of attempted murder after a fire at the family's Chadstone home in Melbourne's southeast on the night of May 21. She is married to Jae Bang, the head chef and owner of the celebrated Freyja restaurant on Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD. The couple and their two children, aged eight and ten, have lived in Melbourne for three years. Emergency services were called to a two-storey home on Terrigal Street in Chadstone at 9.40pm on May 21. A woman and two girls were rescued from the fire and taken to the hospital in a critical condition, police said. Detectives from the Arson and Explosives Squad investigated the fire and charged the 37-year-old woman with attempted murder after a two-month probe. Her case remains before Melbourne Magistrates' Court. A fundraiser, started almost a week before the charges were laid, had raised more than $20,000 to support the family. The GoFundMe page, organised by fellow chefs, said that Mr Bang was away from Melbourne on May 21. It said that the family was "unconscious when the firefighters rescued them". "The family is recovering, but they have no home, no other family in the area, and have many expenses to cover from the fire rescue and hospital stays," it said. The family has moved around the world as opportunities to work abroad arose. Mr Bang worked his way through some of the most respected kitchens in the US, Europe and Asia before moving to Australia in 2022 to open the Nordic-inspired restaurant. He told this masthead in April that, with such a busy schedule at the restaurant, the family relished their time together on the weekend. He said they loved sharing a meal at their favourite Chinese restaurant, Tung Wo, when they had time. A woman accused of trying to murder two children in a house fire has been identified as the wife of an Australian-based, internationally acclaimed chef. Hyun Ju Ahn, 37, was arrested on July 17 and charged with two counts of attempted murder after a fire at the family's Chadstone home in Melbourne's southeast on the night of May 21. She is married to Jae Bang, the head chef and owner of the celebrated Freyja restaurant on Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD. The couple and their two children, aged eight and ten, have lived in Melbourne for three years. Emergency services were called to a two-storey home on Terrigal Street in Chadstone at 9.40pm on May 21. A woman and two girls were rescued from the fire and taken to the hospital in a critical condition, police said. Detectives from the Arson and Explosives Squad investigated the fire and charged the 37-year-old woman with attempted murder after a two-month probe. Her case remains before Melbourne Magistrates' Court. A fundraiser, started almost a week before the charges were laid, had raised more than $20,000 to support the family. The GoFundMe page, organised by fellow chefs, said that Mr Bang was away from Melbourne on May 21. It said that the family was "unconscious when the firefighters rescued them". "The family is recovering, but they have no home, no other family in the area, and have many expenses to cover from the fire rescue and hospital stays," it said. The family has moved around the world as opportunities to work abroad arose. Mr Bang worked his way through some of the most respected kitchens in the US, Europe and Asia before moving to Australia in 2022 to open the Nordic-inspired restaurant. He told this masthead in April that, with such a busy schedule at the restaurant, the family relished their time together on the weekend. He said they loved sharing a meal at their favourite Chinese restaurant, Tung Wo, when they had time.
