Woman reportedly scammed of NZ$375,000 in AI-assisted Martin Henderson impersonation romance fraud
A 47-year-old American woman reportedly lost over NZ$375,000 in a romance scam in which a scammer impersonated actor Martin Henderson using AI-generated voice messages. Lea believed she was in a two-year relationship with Henderson and moved to New Zealand in December 2024, but discovered the fraud when a friend showed her a news article proving Henderson was actually at a charity event at the time he claimed to be hospitalized.
What happened
A 47-year-old American woman named Lea, who posted on a Virgin River fan page, was contacted by someone claiming to be Martin Henderson's agent and subsequently believed she was in a two-year romantic relationship with the actor Martin Henderson through WeChat and Telegram.
The scammer sent Lea voice messages in Henderson's AI-doctored voice and promised they would be together, with plans for marriage and three children. Lea moved to New Zealand in December 2024 believing she would meet Henderson, but discovered the deception when a friend sent her a news article showing Henderson at a charity event in Matakana on New Year's Eve, contradicting the scammer's claim that he was hospitalized in South Africa.
Reported impact
Lea reportedly spent more than NZ$375,000 on the scammer, including NZ$10,000 to bail him out of jail, NZ$5,000 for a commercial flight, NZ$30,000 for a private jet, NZ$56,000 for fake invoices for a non-existent box, NZ$12,000 in gift cards, NZ$5,000 in bitcoin transfers, and approximately NZ$250,000 for 25 MacBooks intended for a fake business venture.
Lea stated: 'My head is all over the place and I felt very foolish having opened my heart' and 'I was severely manipulated during some very traumatic events in my life.'
Index analysis
The incident demonstrates how AI-generated voice synthesis can be used to impersonate a public figure and manipulate victims in romance scams by creating convincing audio evidence of a false identity.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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