Latest news with #AIscam
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Good Samaritan gardener targeted by cruel AI scam hits breaking point
A hardworking gardener famous for transforming the overgrown gardens of vulnerable Aussies has hit back at a cruel AI scam targeting his followers. Several fake accounts are posting Nathan Stafford's lawn care videos, usually with an American voiceover dubbed over the top, on TikTok and YouTube. The Sydney-based gardener started his mowing company in 2010 and has a 10million strong following across his social media platforms. Mr Stafford also donates a percentage of his merchandise sales to the Heart Centre for Children. However, in the last 18 months, the Good Samaritan has spent countless hours working to stop his followers from handing over money to scammers. Dozens of his videos have been reposted by fake accounts, some of which ask his followers for money under the guise of fundraising. Other videos feature insensitive voiceovers about single mothers and cancer patients. Mr Stafford told 2GB radio host Ben Fordham on Tuesday that the AI scam was affecting both his brand and his business. One video posted by a fake account claimed he was working on a single mother's 'mosquito trap' because she was 'too busy' to notice it was overgrown. 'It's very disappointing because I help a lot of single mothers and I don't find that entertaining at all,' Mr Stafford said. Several fake accounts (pictured) are posting Nathan Stafford's lawn care videos Some of the videos have a American voiceover dubbed over the top (pictured) 'To me it's making a mockery out of that situation. I even saw one last night about a person supposedly having leukemia. I lost a good mate that had leukemia. 'I don't appreciate any of that or find it funny at all. 'They're just trying to empty people's pockets.' He said there were 'hundreds and hundreds' of fake accounts on TikTok that he had been trying to get deleted for almost two years. 'It's really damaging, mate,' he told Fordham. 'Some of these fake accounts have amassed over 200,000 followers and reach out to my followers, pretending to be me, and request money.' Mr Stafford's content typically focuses on helping Aussies who are unable to take care of their own overgrown gardens, free of charge. 'I love doing it, it's a good way to also help people out in the community and spread a bit of positivity on my platforms,' he said. 'My profiles are based on helping people, honesty and all that kind of stuff. 'But (these AI scammers) are going out there and the stories that they're putting on these videos are horrendous. It's so far from the truth. 'I don't appreciate that because that's not what my channel is about.' Mr Stafford has called on TikTok and YouTube to deploy more resources to shut down fake accounts impersonating popular creators. 'Someone needs to step in here and speak with me. It's not just me. There's hundreds of other people that are going through this. It's out of control,' he said.
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I was scammed out of hundreds of pounds by an AI deepfake Jennifer Aniston who told me she loved me
A British man has revealed how he was cruelly conned out of £200 – by what he believed was a heartfelt message from Friends icon Jennifer Aniston. Paul Davis, 43, from Southampton, fell victim to a disturbing new wave of artificial intelligence scams after being bombarded with messages from deepfake celebrity accounts on social media. The unemployed man, who suffers from depression, said he was 'relentlessly' targeted by AI-generated videos – including ones that appeared to feature Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and even the beloved sitcom star Aniston herself. In one particularly cruel twist, Davis was sent an image of what looked like Jennifer Aniston's driving licence, before she told him she 'loves him' and asked for money. He said: 'I've got fake videos from Jennifer Aniston asking me for £200 and saying she loves me.' Tragically, Paul believed the message was real – and sent the money in the form of non-refundable Apple gift cards. 'I've paid £200 and I was bitten. Once bitten, twice shy,' he added. The scam is part of a growing online menace, where advanced AI technology is used to create terrifyingly convincing fake videos of celebrities – all designed to con unsuspecting victims into handing over cash or personal details. The unemployed man, who suffers from depression , said he was 'relentlessly' targeted by AI-generated videos including from Jennifer Aniston Paul said he's been receiving dozens of messages every day, with scammers trying to fool him into thinking he's won a 'special prize' – from a cash windfall to a luxury Range Rover 4x4. Some of the videos even feature AI-generated versions of Facebook creator Zuckerberg declaring: 'This is not a scam, believe me' and insisting he's a 'genuine person.' The fake messages are often accompanied by doctored certificates or phony ID cards designed to appear as though they're from social media giants like Facebook. Paul explained: 'It's been going on for about five months. I thought people would get into trouble for this, but these people seem to be having a laugh and getting away with it.' He also revealed that he's not the only one being targeted. 'Someone I know has spent over a grand on Apple gift cards for scammers,' he said. Struggling with his mental health and unable to work, Paul admits the scams are taking a toll. 'I can't keep taking that sort of hit,' he said. He also revealed that he's not the only one being targeted. 'Someone I know has spent over a grand on Apple gift cards for scammers' Paul has even received scam messages from Tesla owner Elon Musk claiming he has won half a million pounds Some of the videos even feature AI-generated versions of Facebook creator Zuckerberg declaring: 'This is not a scam, believe me' and insisting he's a 'genuine person' Now, Paul wants to raise awareness and warn others about the sophisticated tactics fraudsters are using to extract sensitive personal information – including bank and credit card details. Dr Jennifer Williams, an AI expert at the University of Southampton said that this is a classic phishing scam – but with a terrifyingly modern twist. 'The scammer would input details like the victim's name (obtained from various sources) into an AI model to generate the image, refining it until it appears convincing,' she said. In Paul's case, he was sent a 'certificate from Facebook' claiming he'd won £500,000 and a car – but in reality, it was a digital fake created by AI. 'The goal is to get the victim's home address under the guise of 'delivering' prizes like a car or a non-existent Facebook Mastercard,' Dr Williams explained. Once a relationship is established, scammers often request victims to purchase gift cards – and then send them the codes. Dr Williams warned people to stay vigilant and watch for telltale signs such as odd phrasing, highly pixelated images, and suspicious wording like 'don't be afraid' – all designed to provoke an emotional response. She also said to be wary of different pixelation patterns around names, which can indicate they were digitally altered.
CBC
14-05-2025
- CBC
'Definitely my son's voice': Manitoba woman targeted by AI phone scam
Social Sharing A Manitoba woman is speaking up after receiving a phone call she said was an AI scam that used a loved one's voice. Leann Friesen, a mother of three from the small southern Manitoba community of Miami, got a phone call a couple of weeks ago from a private number. Although the person on the other end of the call sounded like her son, the conversation was odd, she said. "He said, 'Hi mom,' and I said hi. He said, 'Mom, can I tell you anything?' and I said yes. He said, 'Without judgment?'" said Friesen. "I'm getting a little bit confused at that point — like, why are you asking me this?" Friesen said the call was giving her an uneasy feeling, so she told the caller she'd call him back on his cellphone and hung up. "I immediately called my son, and I woke him out of his sleep, because he works shift work. He said, 'Mom, I didn't call you.' But it was definitely my son's voice that was on the other end of the line." Using artificial intelligence to scam someone over the phone is a new approach by fraudsters, with criminals using AI software to make themselves sound like their victims' loved ones. The scammers can use short clips of a person's voice found online to re-create a person's voice in a scam call, according to police. Friesen isn't the only person being targeted. The member of the legislative assembly for Burrows, Diljeet Brar, said his voice was used recently in an attempt to scam one of his constituents. "[The constituent] said, 'It was your voice.' He has talked to me many times. In the community I meet those seniors often, and he said [it was] the exact same voice." Brar said the caller asked the constituent for $5,000, but the person targeted caught on before transferring any money. The MLA said he is speaking up so people are more aware of AI scams. "I was concerned about the seniors who don't know much about the latest technology. They don't use technology, they don't know how AI works. And I thought about how vulnerable they are," he said. "It was shocking." Targeted 'spear phishing': investigator Keith Elliott is a certified fraud examiner, and the CEO of Reed Research Investigations, a professional investigation firm based in Toronto. He said this type of scam is a spin on a common one known as the "grandparent scam," which typically involves someone calling the victim and posing as a grandchild in legal trouble, saying they need cash in order to be released from police custody. "The current trend right now is leveraging AI to facilitate different levels of that scam to use voices that are familiar to the parties," said Elliott, describing it as a type of "phishing" scam. "It's a little more elaborate — it's what we would refer to as 'spear phishing,' because it's very targeted at a specific person." Elliott said he teaches techniques to verify whether a caller on the phone is who they claim to be. He suggests calling the person back on a number you trust, or baiting them with false information. "Say, 'Oh, have you talked to your sister lately?' And the individual will be, like, 'No, I haven't had a chance to talk to her.' I don't even have a sister, so you know it's a fraud," said Elliott. "That person's going to feed you the answer, so you have to feed them a lie that you know is going to bait them the opposite way." Elliott also said if something seems off, trust your instincts. AI fraud attempts and cyber crimes can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I thought Bondi Vet Chris Brown was in love with me and showering me with texts and calls. I'm devastated to learn I was catfished by AI
A UK pensioner has been conned out of her life savings after falling for an AI scam that TV's Bondi Vet was in love with her but needed cash after being kidnapped. Lisa Nock, 44, from Staffordshire, was browsing Instagram in 2022 when a fake account posing as Dr Chris Brown bombarded her with direct messages. Ms Nock admits she was lonely and vulnerable at the time at the time after losing her partner in a car crash, and had been left disabled in another traffic accident. But the avid animal lover said her life changed and she was delighted when the TV star said he wanted to meet her in England. 'I was chuffed that Chris Brown had messaged me, I'm a huge fan and hoped this might be our chance to meet,' Ms Knock told the Daily Telegraph. The surprise messages began a chain of correspondence that spanned two-and-a-half year, but the scammers soon told her Dr Brown needed money to visit her. They moved the conversation to WhatsApp and continued to groom her, using artificial intelligence to convince her she was in a romantic relationship with him. 'After a few months, I admit I was enamoured. He told me he loved me and wanted us to marry – of course I said no, and asked if it was a scam,' Ms Nock said. She tried calling the Whatsapp number, but her attempts were blocked. Scammers then used a sophisticated AI program to call Ms Nock via encrypted messaging app Telegram. AI Chris Brown said he hoped the call had cleared her doubts. The conmen also used AI image generators to create 'photos' of the TV doctor and shared them with Ms Nock, a volunteer English and drama teacher. She lives of just $1246 each month from her UK pensions, two thirds of which she pays to her parents in rent. The remaining $400 however ended up being sent to the cruel scammers each month for almost three years. Ms Nock sent the money through gift cards, Bitcoin and Crypto information. 'I was vulnerable and wanted to believe we could be friends, we both love animals, I had lost my partner in a car crash a few years ago,' she said. Ms Nock finally realised it was all fake when the conmen posed as Dr Brown's 'management' team and told her he had been kidnapped, before demanding $40million. Ms Nock has now reported the scam to British police. She also wanted Dr Brown to know people were using his likeness to defraud innocent members of the public. The 44-year-old is now paying off a 'big' credit card debt and suffers depression. She insists she was 'no fool', but fell for the ingenuity of AI and does not want anyone to repeat her mistake. Ms Nock first appeared on Catfished Podcast to say the ordeal left her feeling like she'd been 'groomed'. 'And all of a sudden when it's dropped a bombshell on you, you just lose that trust in anybody and it can be hard to hold down a relationship once you've been traumatised in that way,' she said. 'That will live with me forever.' Dr Brown previously posted on social media to warn the public scammers have been pretending to be him on the internet. 'I'm sorry I even have to say this,' he posted in November 2024. 'But just to be clear, I don't have any other private chat accounts, pages or other special accounts. 'Nor any Telegrams or chat rooms where I have offline conversations. 'Sadly, all of these are just scammers. And not even good ones, the way they assume I talk is a little embarrassing. And trust me, I don't have the time! 'I'd rather be talking pets than scammers but enough is enough.' Dr Brown is one of Australia's most internationally renowned TV figures.
