A man in Shanghai fell into the victim of a mature scam, losing nearly $28,000 after being tricked into thinking he was in a long-distance relationship with his AI-generated girlfriend.
The scam reported by Chinese media on Wednesday, February 26 involved the use of generative artificial intelligence software to create realistic videos and still images of women, whom she was called the fictional “Ms. Qiao”.
The victim was identified only as Mr. Liu, who transferred nearly 200,000 yuan (about $28,000) to a bank account he believed was his online enthusiast. The scammer convinced him that his “girlfriend” needed funds to conduct business and assisted relatives in paying for medical expenses. To further support the scam, they provided fake proof of identity and medical reports.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the operation was conducted by a “scammer team” that used AI to create compelling images and videos of the woman, which Mr. Liu had never seen in person. Images of the victims are displayed in various settings, such as holding a paint palette and standing on city streets, all created using AI or in combination with multiple images.
This incident underscores the growing threat posed by AI-driven scams as technology increasingly allows for the creation of highly convincing fake identities. Earlier this month, Facebook’s parent company Meta warned users about online romantic scams involving AI generation and noted the rise in such deceptive practices.
