Houston man defrauded of $15,000 via AI voice cloning scam using Coinme crypto kiosk

Summary

In Houston, Texas, 71‑year‑old Charles Lafkoff was tricked by scammers who used AI‑generated voice clips that sounded like his son, convincing him to pay a $15,000 bond. The scammers instructed him to deposit the funds through a Coinme cryptocurrency kiosk, claiming the bond could be paid without the district attorney’s involvement. After the payment, Lafkoff learned the alleged public defender did not exist, prompting a police report. Coinme confirmed the funds were withdrawn within minutes and highlighted its warning screens meant to deter such fraud.