AI-generated 'girlfriend' scams Chinese man out of £22,000

A man in China lost nearly £22,000 to a sophisticated AI dating scam, according to state media reports.

The victim, identified only by his surname Liu, was convinced he was in a relationship with a woman named Ms Jiao, who he believed was sending him personalised messages, photos, and videos.

Unbeknownst to Liu, Ms Jiao was a fictional character created using generative artificial intelligence.

The scammers behind the fake persona manipulated him into sending 200,000 yuan (around £21,722), claiming the money was needed for medical bills and business expenses.

A police investigation revealed that the scammers used AI to create convincing photos and videos and even fabricated medical reports to further deceive Liu into believing his “girlfriend” was in financial distress.

Liu never met Ms Jiao in person.

AI scams, including those involving romantic relationships, have become a rising concern globally, with fraudsters using technology to create realistic digital personas for financial gain.

This incident follows similar AI romance scams in various countries, with other victims losing large sums after being manipulated by AI-generated figures claiming to be celebrities or military personnel.

In January, scammers tricked a 53-year-old French woman into believing she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, ultimately stealing £661,508 from her. The fraudsters used fake messages and AI-generated videos to manipulate her, causing her to divorce her husband and suffer heavy financial losses.

In November of the previous year, a British woman in her 60s was scammed out of £19,752 by a fraudster posing as a US army colonel named "Mike Murdy" on Tinder. The scammer used convincing AI videos and images to gain her trust and convince her to send large sums of money under false pretenses.

In 2023, an Arizona mother reported that scammers used AI to mimic her daughter's voice in an attempt to extort $1 million (£790,086) from her.