WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — West Palm Beach police are investigating three separate incidents in which a man allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake videos to manipulate shoppers at a Palm Beach Lakes hardware store.
The latest incident occurred on November 18, when police said a 22-year-old man showed a woman a realistic AI-generated image of her husband kissing another woman. This video was completely fabricated.
“I just felt violated. That was the worst part and the hardest part to recover from,” the woman said. She and her husband requested anonymity, fearing retaliation because the suspect is not in custody.
Check out WPTV’s coverage below:
‘Anxious’ Police investigate further AI video manipulation attempts at Palm Beach Lakes hardware store
Body camera footage showed West Palm Beach police officers responding to the hardware store that night. In the case, the suspect, whose identity has not been released because he has not been charged, admitted to showing an AI-generated image of her husband to a police officer, showing it to the woman, and recording her reactions on a pair of glasses.
“What crime did I commit?” the man in the body camera footage asks.
“Well, there were a few,” replied the Home Depot manager on duty.
“That’s all I showed her. That’s all,” the 22-year-old said, holding up his phone.
“Oh, you mean AI, is that what you mean?” the officer asks.
“It’s an AI prank,” the man answered when asked.
The targeted woman said, “I just wanted to get away from him. I think I became more anxious after everything was over.”
She and her husband have filed a police report, and officers are investigating whether the incident is connected to two similar incidents at the same store.
In October, Melanie Valentine told WPTV that a man showed her a realistic AI video of her truck being stolen and tried to convince her to leave with him so he could “get the guy.”
“It was really scary because you start thinking of all the things that could happen. They could have ambushed you as you were getting out of the truck,” Valentine said.
When WPTV showed both Valentine and the couple from the November incident a photo of the man seen in the body camera footage, they identified him as the person who approached them.
A Home Depot manager told police the suspect had been there before.
“The moment you walked in, we were notified by facial recognition. You were here doing something like this a few weeks ago,” the manager said in body camera footage.
West Palm Beach Police Department spokeswoman Rachel Leitao said investigators suspect the incident was staged because of social media content.
“We suspect that these are just shocking videos for social media purposes,” Litao said. “The idea that someone is creating a fake video like this to instill fear in someone is unacceptable. In fact, we know of three incidents that are very similar in nature.”
The ministry is now appealing to other potential victims to come forward.
Criminal defense lawyer Stuart Kaplan said that while it is legal to film someone in public, using AI to manipulate someone’s image with criminal intent could lead to legal action.
“If it could fall into the realm of civil libel or slander, or if it was used for extortion or blackmail or worse, obviously law enforcement would have the right to investigate,” Kaplan said.
But using someone’s likeness in an AI video without clear criminal intent remains a legal gray area, Kaplan said.
“Do you think we need stronger laws regarding the use of AI?” investigative reporter Kate Hussey asked Kaplan.
“1000 percent,” Kaplan replied. “If AI is manipulated or falls into the wrong hands, it could lead to extremely troubling and harmful scenarios for our way of life.”
Police are warning shoppers to be extremely cautious during the busy holiday season. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and never go with strangers.
Investigation is ongoing. WPTV has reached out to both the person named in the police report and Home Depot’s corporate media team, but has not yet received a response.
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