Deepfake Jason Momoa Romance Scam Defrauds British Widows of Over £500,000
Scammers used AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating Jason Momoa to conduct romance scams targeting vulnerable widows in the UK. Multiple victims lost substantial sums, including a Cambridgeshire woman who transferred over £500,000 and became homeless as a result.
What happened
A Cambridgeshire widow who joined a Jason Momoa fan page after her husband's death was contacted by someone claiming to be the actor. The scammer sent AI-generated videos purporting to show Momoa and claimed his funds were tied up in film projects, requesting money to build a dream home in Hawaii.
The widow transferred £500,000 from the sale of her home before the contact stopped and her money vanished. A second victim, a grandmother from Newcastle, lost £80,000 to the same scam after being introduced to people claiming to be Momoa's lawyers and bank managers.
Reported impact
The Cambridgeshire widow was left homeless after losing over £500,000. Multiple victims have been identified across the UK and US over a five-month period.
Index analysis
The scam exploited vulnerable individuals during periods of grief and emotional distress. Fraudsters conducted targeted research on victims and used deepfake videos to establish false credibility.
Governance controls
Cambridgeshire Police's fraud and cyber prevention officers reported an influx of celebrity-based romance scams and issued public warnings about the scheme.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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