Queensland council loses $2.3 million to AI-imitation fraud scam in December 2024

Summary

A Queensland council, Noosa Council, was defrauded of $2.3 million in a scam in December 2024, with the mayor stating that AI technology was used to imitate personalities. The fraud involved international perpetrators who quickly transferred the money overseas, though about $400,000 was later recovered, leaving the council with a $1.9 million loss. Queensland Police and the AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre are investigating the incident. No employees were held responsible, and no staff lost their jobs as a result of the scam. The council has since pledged to improve its cybersecurity measures and recruit additional staff to prevent future attacks. Cybersecurity experts suggested the scam exploited human vulnerabilities, possibly using deepfake technology or phishing to trick staff into approving large financial transactions.