Romance scammer uses deepfake videos to defraud Scottish woman of £17,000
A 77-year-old Scottish woman was defrauded of £17,000 by a romance scammer who used deepfake video technology to impersonate a person named Alla Morgan in an online relationship, eventually requesting payments under false pretenses.
What happened
Nikki MacLeod, a 77-year-old retired lecturer from Edinburgh, met a person claiming to be named Alla Morgan on Facebook and struck up an online relationship involving thousands of messages.
The scammer created an elaborate backstory claiming to work on an oil rig in the Aegean Sea, and later sent recorded video messages that MacLeod now knows were deepfake videos created with AI technology.
MacLeod transferred £17,000 in total, including £2,500 for a supposed helicopter flight to Edinburgh Airport and additional payments for trip costs requested by the scammer.
Reported impact
MacLeod lost £17,000 to the scam. She was vulnerable following the death of her parents during lockdown and the end of a long-term relationship.
Index analysis
The scammer used AI-generated deepfake video messages to impersonate a person and build trust, requesting payments through multiple methods including gift cards, bank transfers, and PayPal.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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