Shanghai man scammed of $28,000 by AI 'girlfriend'

SHANGHAI: A man in Shanghai lost nearly $28,000 after being tricked into a long-distance “relationship” with an AI-generated girlfriend, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday.

Scammers used generative artificial intelligence software to create realistic video and still images of a young woman in order to pose as the fictional “Ms Jiao”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The victim transferred nearly 200,000 yuan (nearly $28,000) to what he believed was his online lover´s bank account, after the scammers used the fake images to convince him that his “girlfriend” needed funds to open a business and help a relative with medical bills.

The scammers even created a fake ID and medical reports to support the ruse, CCTV reported.

The operation was conducted by a “scammer team sending video and photos that were all created through AI or made by combining multiple images”, CCTV said, citing a police investigation.

“Throughout the process, (the victim) Mr Liu never met Ms Jiao in person,” it added.

A CCTV video showed photos of a woman in different scenarios including posing with a paint palette and standing on a city street.

The emergence of AI tools able to generate convincing text, images and even live video has resulted in increasingly sophisticated scams around the world.

Earlier this month US social media behemoth Meta warned internet users to be wary of online acquaintances promising romance but seeking cash, noting that scams making use of generative AI were on the rise.