An AI-generated 'girlfriend' scammed a man out of $28,000.

 A scam in Shanghai has caused a man to lose almost $28,000 after he was fooled into thinking 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."

 

Mr. Liu, who was identified only as Mr. Liu, made a transfer of nearly 200,000 yuan (roughly $28,000) to his online lover's bank account. The scammers persuaded him that his 'girlfriend' required the funds to start a business and help a relative with medical expenses. The scam was strengthened by the provision of 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.

 

The increasing threat of AI-driven scams is highlighted in this incident, as technology is making it possible to create highly convincing fake identities. Meta, Facebook's parent company, cautioned its users about online romance scams using generative AI earlier this month, pointing out the increase in such deceptive practices.