An old man in Ohio claims he was victim of an online scam using artificial intelligence by impersonating a jelly roll.
Now he shares his story in the hopes of protecting others.
scam
Ronnie Flint says it started with a message claiming he won $50,000 in cash and a brand new car.
catch? He needs to cover the shipping costs.
Initially skeptical, Flint says he was quickly convinced by the series of AI-generated videos that appear to come directly from the jerry roll.
“I really thought it was a jelly roll,” Flint told 2News. “When they actually sent me the second video where they said my full name, it got me.
Losing his last $70
Flint didn't have much room for bonds.
However, after watching the video, he says he scraped and sent an Apple gift card worth $70 along with it.
read more: This is what AI chatbots had to say about 23 biggest country artists
“I told him I had a disability,” Flint explained. “You know, this is all the money I have for the rest of the month.”
Wake-up call
Luckily, the family found the scam before Flint lost more.
They warned him, and he immediately stopped all contact and filed a police report.
“That's why I called you guys,” Flint told the outlet. “Maybe because someone else has already fallen for it, so I want to put it out there.”
He added, “I don't want them to fall into it like I did.”
Warning Stories
As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, experts warn that such scams are becoming more common.
For Flint, the $70 loss was painful, but manageable. For others, the costs can be much higher.
Jelly Roll's stunning weight loss journey with 28 photos
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
