Woman loses €33,000 to deepfake investment scam in Bulgaria
A 52-year-old woman in Bulgaria lost €33,000 after viewing a deepfake video on social media that mimicked a television report advertising an investment programme. The AI-generated video led her to contact scammers who instructed her to transfer funds in multiple transactions; the investigation continues.
What happened
A 52-year-old woman from Pleven, Bulgaria encountered a video on social media presented as an investment opportunity report. The video was generated using artificial intelligence technology designed to mimic a legitimate television report, featuring two prominent figures advertising a purported Bulgarian investment programme.
Following links in the report, the woman received a call from someone claiming to be a company manager who instructed her to transfer her available funds to a specified bank account in multiple transactions of up to €10,000 each. The woman completed several bank transfers totalling €33,000, after which contact ceased.
Reported impact
The victim incurred financial loss of €33,000 in total.
Index analysis
Experts warned of a growing number of scams based on artificial intelligence-generated content, according to reporting.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.