A man in Shanghai has fallen victim to a sophisticated scam, losing nearly $28,000 after being deceived into believing he was in a long-distance relationship with an AI-generated girlfriend.
The scam, reported by Chinese state media on Wednesday, February 26, involved the use of generative artificial intelligence software to create realistic video and still images of a woman, who was presented as the fictional “Ms. Jiao.”
The victim, identified only as Mr. Liu, transferred nearly 200,000 yuan (around $28,000) to what he thought was his online lover’s bank account. The scammers convinced him that his “girlfriend” needed the funds to open a business and assist a relative with medical expenses. To further support the scam, they provided fake identification and medical reports.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the operation was carried out by a “scammer team” that used AI to produce convincing images and videos of the woman, who Mr Liu never met in person. The victim was shown images of the woman in various settings, such as holding a paint palette and standing on a city street, all created using AI or by combining multiple images.
This incident highlights the growing threat posed by AI-driven scams, as technology increasingly allows for the creation of highly convincing fake identities. Earlier this month, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, issued a warning to users about online romance scams involving generative AI, noting the rise in such deceptive practices.
