Shanghai Police Dismantle Romance Scam Gang Using AI-Generated Women
Shanghai police dismantled a 10-person fraud ring that used AI-generated images of women to conduct romance scams targeting approximately 1,000 men nationwide, defrauding them of over 2 million yuan. The gang lured victims through short-video platforms, built fake relationships using scripted dialogue, and extracted money through false pretexes. Four suspects were arrested and six others placed under criminal compulsory measures.
What happened
In August 2024, Shanghai police received a report from citizen Liu about being defrauded through a short-video platform connection with a woman named 'Jiao.' Over two months, 'Jiao' extracted nearly 200,000 yuan from Liu through various pretexts including flower basket purchases for a store opening and family medical expenses. Liu never met 'Jiao' in person and discovered the deception when the woman displayed fraudulent documents.
Police investigation revealed the same fraud method victimized two additional people in October and December 2024 in Minhang District. The gang, led by Yang, was organized with clear divisions of labor: video publishers, chatting operators using 'romance scripts,' and image manipulation specialists. In January 2025, coordinated police sweeps in Guangdong, Fujian, and Shandong resulted in 60+ phones, 250+ SIM cards, and a detailed fraud playbook.
Reported impact
The scam defrauded approximately 1,000 men nationwide of over 2 million yuan. Victims were systematically deceived through AI-generated female images on short-video platforms, then manipulated through scripted romantic dialogue before being financially exploited.
Index analysis
Police noted that short-video platforms became a major channel for the fraud gang to attract victims, with AI-generated video content enabling large-scale targeting. The operation used assembly-line tactics with standardized scripts and victim data harvesting.
Governance controls
Police have contacted relevant short-video platforms and instructed them to strengthen content review and clean up the online environment. The public was warned to increase vigilance against such scams.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.