Spanish authorities have issued a warning after an online scam targeted social media users in which scammers used AI-generated videos on TikTok to impersonate 20-year-old heir to the Spanish throne, Princess Leonor.
The fake account displays a realistic-looking video of “Leonor” promising thousands of dollars in financial aid in exchange for a few hundred dollars in advance. Victims who have paid will be asked to make additional payments before the scammers disappear, according to the Princess of Asturias Foundation.
The foundation stressed that neither it nor Princess Leonor run any programs offering money, grants or personal financial assistance, calling all such messages “completely false.” An investigation by El País (via The Guardian ) found that phone numbers involved in the scam were traced back to the Dominican Republic, and some videos racked up more than 1 million views.
Despite TikTok's rules prohibiting impersonation and fraud, the paper reported that repeated complaints about Leonor's fake account were dismissed, with the platform claiming the content did not violate its policies. This highlights growing concerns about AI-based impersonation fraud, as fake videos become more realistic and it becomes harder for users to distinguish between public figures and sophisticated scams.
