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On Wednesday, Chinese state media reported that a man in Shanghai lost about $28,000 after being duped into a long-distance “relationship” with an AI-generated partner.
According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, scammers pretending to be the fictional “Ms. Jiao” created lifelike stills and video photos of a young woman using generative artificial intelligence techniques.
The scammers told the victim that his “girlfriend” needed money to start a business and pay for a relative’s medical bills, so he deposited almost 200,000 yuan (about $28,000) into what he thought was his online lover’s bank account.
CCTV said that to bolster the pretence, the scammers also produced a phoney ID and medical records.
CCTV claimed, citing a police probe, that a “scammer team sending video and photos that were all created through AI or made by combining multiple images” carried out the operation.
“Throughout the process, (the victim) Mr. Liu never met Ms. Jiao in person,” it stated.
CCTV footage displayed images of a woman in various positions, such as standing on a city street and posing with a paint pallet.
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can produce realistic text, graphics, and even live video has led to an increase in the sophistication of frauds worldwide.
US social network giant Meta cautioned users earlier this month about online acquaintances who promise romance but are out for money, pointing out that frauds that leverage generative AI are becoming more common.
