Shanghai resident loses $28,000 to AI-generated girlfriend scam

According to Chinese state media reports on Wednesday, a man from Shanghai was scammed out of $28,000 in a case where he fell prey to a long-distance relationship with an AI-generated girlfriend.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, scammers used generative artificial intelligence software to create realistic video and still images of a young woman, who they presented as the fictional “Ms. Jiao.”

Mr. Liu, the victim, sent almost 200,000 yuan (equivalent to around $28,000) to what he thought was his online girlfriend’s bank account. The scammers utilized false images to convince him that his “girlfriend” required financial aid for starting a business and paying for a relative’s medical bills. To further the deception, they fabricated a false ID and medical documents, as reported by CCTV.

The scheme was orchestrated by a “scammer team sending video and photos that were all created through AI or made by combining multiple images,” according to a police investigation cited by CCTV. It added, “Throughout the process, (the victim) Mr. Liu never met Ms. Jiao in person.”

A CCTV footage displayed a range of AI-created pictures depicting the fictitious woman in different situations, such as posing with a paint palette and standing on a city street in one instance.