The Daily Star reported that such schemes have been prevalent in the southern Spanish province of Jaen. According to the Spanish Civil Guard, the law enforcement branch handling crimes in rural areas, up to 15 convents in the province have been targeted by these criminals in the last few weeks.
One fraudster reportedly pretended to be Jaen Bishop Sebastian Chico, calling several nuns at one convent and asking them to transfer €5,000 ($5,425) for surgery. The nuns, having no idea that they were talking to a conman, wired the money – only to realize some time later that they had been scammed.
The same fraudster also phoned a convent in the city of Torredonjimeno in the same province. His ruse worked, as the nuns in the second convent handed half of the amount pilfered from the first convent.
But one nun got wind of the ruse, rebuking the fraudster when he called: "You're not Don Sebastian; your voice is very hoarse." The conman then tried to convince the nun, telling her: "Yes, I am. I need the money for an operation on my throat."
Jose Antonio Sanchez, pro-vicar of the Diocese of Jaen, said: "[The fraudsters] take advantage of the goodwill of these nuns who know that they are very receptive to the bishop, who is their shepherd father."
The bishop's office in the coastal town of Almeria, located in the eponymous province, also echoed Sanchez's remarks. It warned that these scammers are using AI technology "to achieve almost perfect imitations of voices and, in the case of videos, even the face and gestures of the impersonated person."...<<<Read More>>>...