DetectifAI Fights AI Scams After Founder's Family Ransom
Tarini Padmanabhuni founded DetectifAI after her grandfather paid a ransom to scammers using an AI voice clone. The startup licenses on-device detection to phone makers.
Tarini Padmanabhuni founded DetectifAI, a San Francisco-based company, after a personal experience with an AI-driven scam. Her grandfather paid a ransom after an AI-generated voice imitating his brother convinced him his brother had been kidnapped, according to TechCrunch.
The problem is growing. The FBI reported that Americans lost close to $900 million to AI-driven scams last year, up 24% from 2024. People 60 and older lost twice as much as those aged 50 to 59.
DetectifAI designs compact AI models intended to run inside a smartphone's operating system. The company licenses its software tools to phone manufacturers so detection can ship as a built-in OS feature.
The startup already handles more than 100,000 calls a month for financial institutions in India. It has raised a small seed amount from investors Josh Constine and Manohar Kamath.
DetectifAI is competing in TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt, taking place October 13 to 15 in downtown San Francisco.
Quick answers
What is DetectifAI?
DetectifAI is a San Francisco-based startup that designs compact AI models to run inside a smartphone's operating system. It licenses its software tools to phone manufacturers so detection can ship as a built-in OS feature.
Why did Tarini Padmanabhuni found DetectifAI?
Her grandfather paid a ransom after an AI-generated voice imitating his brother convinced him his brother had been kidnapped.
How much have Americans lost to AI-driven scams?
The FBI reported that Americans lost close to $900 million to AI-driven scams last year, up 24% from 2024.