Deepfake video used in investment scam targeting Florida grandmother
An 82-year-old Florida woman reportedly lost her entire life savings of $200,000 to a scam involving a deepfake video that impersonated a doctor. The artificial intelligence-generated video was shared on Facebook and induced her to transfer funds to the scammers, who subsequently gained access to her banking information.
What happened
An 82-year-old grandmother in Ponte Vedra, Florida saw a video on Facebook that appeared to show a doctor she recognized from the autism community promoting an investment opportunity. The video was created using artificial intelligence to imitate the doctor's face and voice.
The grandmother provided her online banking information to the scammer and $200,000 was withdrawn from her account. She had been saving this money for her 28-year-old grandson, who has autism and lives with her.
Reported impact
The grandmother lost all of her life savings totaling $200,000. She reported experiencing significant emotional distress, losing 20 pounds and suffering from insomnia as a result of the scam.
She filed a police report with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Index analysis
The FBI reports that scams using artificial intelligence have been rising sharply, with the agency receiving more than 4.2 million fraud reports since 2020 totaling $50.5 billion in losses.
Governance controls
Officials advise people to look for inconsistencies in videos such as unnatural blinking or mismatched lip movement, verify requests using trusted phone numbers or websites, and question emotional or urgent appeals for money.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.