Man Loses $28,000 To AI Girlfriend

A Chinese man was defrauded of $28,000 by a girlfriend created by artificial intelligence (AI).
The Chinese guy, named Mr. Liu, resides in Shanghai, according to a Wednesday news report from China Central Television (CCTV), the country’s official media outlet.
Scammers created convincing video and still photographs of a young woman using generative artificial intelligence software, posing as the fake “Jiao,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Leadership cited the article as saying, “After the scammers used the phony photos to convince him that his girlfriend needed financial assistance to open a business and cover a relative’s medical expenses, Liu transferred nearly 200,000 yuan (nearly $28,000) to what he thought was his online lover’s bank account.”

According to a police inquiry, the plan was planned by a “scammer team sending video and photos that were all created through AI or made by combining multiple images.”

It further stated, “Ms. Jiao was never physically met by Mr. Liu during the process.” To persuade Liu, the con artists also produced fictitious invoices and medical records.

This turns into one of the instances where AI’s potential is misused, which calls into question if its use has to be regulated.

Internet users were cautioned by Facebook, Instagram, and Thread, Meta, to be cautious of online pals who promise romance but are actually looking for money, as scams using generative AI were becoming more common.