Getting personalized messages from your favorite celebrities is a dream for most people. Unfortunately, scammers know this is one of the easiest ways to seduce potential victims, so they have adopted AI technology and become more persuasive than ever. That's what happened to one woman who was fooled by a fake video of a soap opera star and lost her home because of that. Continue reading for more recent details General Hospital In addition to scams that led to serious financial set-ups, tips to avoid becoming a victim yourself.
How fake Steve Burton video persuaded women to hand over their savings
In late August, a California woman shared that her mother had saved her life by a con man. I believed that women were actually giving money General Hospital Star and fan favorite Steve Burton.
Vivian Le Barcaba I told ABC7 Her mom, Abigail (who has bipolar 1 disorder), began receiving video messages via Facebook in October 2024. It didn't take long for the conversation to move to WhatsApp.
“I want to live the rest of my life with you,” the con man wrote in one of the messages shared with ABC7. At one point, there was also mention that Burton lost his property in a wildfire in LA earlier this year.
By the time Vivian learns what's going on, Abigail had already sent over $81,000 in cash, Bitcoin and gift cards to unknown con artists. Additionally, her condo was on sale for $350,000, and will also be given $70,000 of that profit. Her daughter's intervention prevented the money from being the wrong hand too.
Since then, the family has been working with lawyers to reverse the sales of their homes.
Why was the scam so persuasive?
While scammers pretending to be celebrities are certainly not new, advances in technology have made it easier than ever to pretend to be in the eye of others. This is done to create a level of trust by making the victim believe they are actually talking to the celebrities in question.
Abigail had received a Deep Fark video (created by AI) to copy Burton's voice and likeness. The “Actor” also tells the victim that she intended to him to build more trust in him.
“Hello, Abigail, I love you so much, darling,” the fake Burton said in one video. Good morning America. “I had to make this video to make you happy, my love. I hope this puts a smile in your heart. I won't hurt you or lie to you.”
You can see some of the video generated by the AI below.
The video was so persuasive that Abigail made the believe that the soap opera star really had feelings for her.
“To me, it still looks real,” she said. KTLA. “I know nothing about AI.”
The requests made by the scammers were respected, including selling condos so they could buy the property together.
What Steve Burton said about the con man pretending to be him
After the news broke about the scam, Burton revealed how often scammers trick fans by pretending to be him. “I see me like people come to my appearance and have been in a relationship online for several years, and I see “No, sorry. I don't know who you are” and you just look, it's so sad, you see devastation,” he shared with ABC7.
He also claimed he would never ask fans for money, posting similar warnings on his official social media accounts to ensure that others weren't scamed by people pretending to be him.
“Be careful. I'll pretend everywhere,” Burton wrote. In the caption. “I only send messages on Instagram @1steveburton.
Tips for staying safe from AI-generated scams
Tana Prason Sing/Getty
The refinement of Deepfake videos makes it difficult to distinguish between reality and AI-generated content. Nevertheless, there are a few steps you can take Protect yourself Because you become a victim.
The red flags to watch out for are:
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Scammer offers to send/replace photos and videos for warranty purposes.
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The person will reach out via social media, a dating app, or “wrong number” text message.
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Excuses are provided as to why the person cannot meet in person.
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Support will be requested for emergencies or emergencies.
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You will have requests for personal or financial information as relevant to the relationship.
To stay safe, the Secret Service says people should avoid sending money or sharing personal information with people they have never met in person. It is also important to know that video calls are not sufficient to prove your identity.
If you believe you are a victim of these scams, contact your local police station or your local Secret Service Field Office.
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