AI-Generated Romance Scam Defrauds Spanish Pensioner of Life Savings
A 78-year-old Spanish pensioner reportedly lost all his savings of 8,800 euros in a romance scam where scammers used AI-generated photos and video to impersonate a 43-year-old female doctor from Kazakhstan. Police confirmed the AI-generated nature of the fake identity after he reported the fraud.
What happened
On 11 November 2024, José Ignacio Villameriel, a 78-year-old Spanish pensioner, received an email from someone claiming to be Ainur, a 43-year-old female doctor from Kazakhstan seeking a serious relationship. The woman and Villameriel communicated by email and exchanged photos over several weeks.
Beginning in mid-December 2024, the supposed girlfriend requested money from Villameriel multiple times: 2,000 euros for travel to Spain, another 2,000 euros, and later 10,000 euros she claimed was required by the Kazakh government as a deposit to ensure her return to Kazakhstan. Villameriel sold his share of an apartment in Benidorm (inherited from his second wife) and sent the 4,400 euros he received to the woman.
While traveling to Madrid airport to meet the woman, Villameriel received an email claiming she had been detained and an icon from her family was confiscated at her airport. She said she needed to pay a fine or face prison. Villameriel reported the case to police, who confirmed it was a scam and that the photos and video he received were of a woman created by artificial intelligence.
Reported impact
Villameriel lost all his savings totaling 8,800 euros over a three-month period. He was forced to sell his apartment share in Benidorm to cover the scammer's financial demands.
Index analysis
The scam used AI-generated photos and video to create a convincing false identity, overcoming traditional romance scam detection by providing visual evidence of the supposed person.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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