The fraud attempt was so convincing that it could have fooled the DI director's mother.

Does it sound familiar? Maybe you've heard it in the news or on the radio?

The voice belongs to the director of the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), Lars Sandahl, and the recording is from this morning's edition of P1 Morgen.

Last week, one of the employees at DI's office received a call from a person with a completely identical voice. The problem was just that it wasn't Lars Sandahl on the other end of the line.

Read also: DI director's voice used in scam attempt against employee ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/di-direktoers-stemme-brugt-til-svindelforsoeg-mod-medarbejder )

Instead, it was a scammer who, using artificial intelligence, had forged the director's voice and tried to get the employee to transfer about half a million dollars, equivalent to 3.3 million Danish kroner.

- It is incredibly serious when someone starts making AI-copied voices of the CEO of the Confederation of Danish Industry, says Jeppe Engell, who is a chief consultant at DI with expertise in cybersecurity.

Fortunately, the employee became suspicious and DI's internal controls stopped the fraud before anything happened.

"One probably often does wisely in keeping it to oneself," says Lars Sandahl about the fraud, which he has nevertheless chosen to talk about. (Photo: © Mathias Svold, Berlingske/Ritzau Scanpix)

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'What one could not imagine was possible before is now possible'

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Lars Sandahl has been in doubt about whether he should tell the public about the fraud, which he calls "very unpleasant in every way".

But last night he decided to write about it on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/DIadmdirektoer/?locale=da_DK ).

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> You can't know if it's me speaking now

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- Even though it is unpleasant and a frightening experience for those of us who have been involved in it, it is important that we share with others that this can happen, he says to P1 Morgen. ( https://www.dr.dk/lyd/p1/p1-morgen/p1-morgen-2026/fredag-30-oktober-2026-11802633445 )

- That is the only way we can become wiser. The raging of technology means that what one could not imagine was possible before is now possible. You can't know if it's me speaking now, for example.

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Fake profile on WhatsApp

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The person who pretended to be Lars Sandahl called an employee at DI's office in South Korea, which helps companies establish themselves.

The scammer said that the inquiry was about a confidential corporate acquisition abroad, Jeppe Engell says.

During the phone call, the fake Lars Sandahl said that there was a bad connection, so he had to switch to written communication. The conversation then continued on WhatsApp, where the scammer wrote from a profile with Lars Sandahl's name and picture.

- In the chat, something was used that quite quickly showed that this person had insider knowledge of what it was about, says Jeppe Engell.

- Thus, it is very difficult for an employee to say that this seems fake.

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Threatening behavior

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Lars Sandahl has heard the audio file with his own fake voice and says that it is so convincing that it could have fooled his mother.

But the behavior was different.

- It is in a tone that both in writing and verbally instructs with threats what to do, and if you don't do it, then there is fire and brimstone. A behavior that would not at all resemble us or for that matter me, he says.

- But it is a way to pressure people. Also perhaps people who don't know one so well.

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How to protect your company from fraud

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Avoid payments based on verbal message alone.

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Payments to new creditors or changed account information must always be approved by more than one person. This applies regardless of who the request comes from.

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If you receive a call that you are the slightest bit in doubt about, then call the person back. Use the number that appears on the company's own phone lists.

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As management, be clear about the procedures. It is important for employees to know whether the director, for example, would call and ask to have money transferred.

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Even if you are told that it is a confidential matter, always go to management or the IT department if doubt arises.

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Remember to report all attempted fraud to the police.

Source: Jeppe Engell, chief consultant at DI with expertise in cybersecurity

According to Lars Sandahl, the case is an example of how seriously we as a society must take threats, "which now come in forms we have not been used to before".

- It is also important to emphasize that we are a trust-based society. It has so many values, and we must continue to be that, he says.

- It just requires that we are aware that we are constantly building trust with each other, but also must be aware of new ways in relation to the technologies and the enemies we may have.

DI has reported the case to the police.

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.