My voice has been cloned – SGF Akume raises alarm

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has raised the alarm over a criminal syndicate allegedly cloning his voice to scam high-profile individuals with fake promises of federal appointments.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, Akume revealed that the fraudsters are using audio deepfake technology to impersonate him and demand money from unsuspecting victims.

“The fraudsters cloned the voice of the SGF, using it to solicit money in return for federal appointments,” the statement read.

Akume, who distanced himself from the scam, also disclosed that the syndicate had cloned the phone numbers of other prominent individuals to deceive members of the public.

“The warning becomes necessary as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been inundated with enquiries relating to the activities of these fraudulent individuals and groups,” he said.

He added that security agencies have been alerted and encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.