Description: In October 2024, Los Angeles resident Abigail Ruvalcaba was reportedly targeted in a romance scam using purported AI-generated deepfake videos and voice impersonations of actor Steve Burton. Believing she was in a relationship, she allegedly sent over $81,000 in cash, gift cards, and crypto, then sold her condo for $350,000 and transferred proceeds to the scammer. Her daughter intervened in February 2025, but the family now reportedly faces bankruptcy and legal battles to recover losses.
Editor Notes: Timeline note: This incident ID takes 10/01/2024 as the incident date, which is approximate, corresponding to when Abigail Ruvalcaba was reportedly first contacted on Facebook Messenger by scammers using purportedly AI-generated deepfake videos and messages allegedly to impersonate actor Steve Burton. Over the following months, the scam allegedly escalated, with communications reportedly moving to WhatsApp and including repeated financial requests. By early 2025, Ruvalcaba had allegedly sent more than $81,000. In February 2025, her daughter reportedly discovered the deception and intervened before an additional $70,000 was allegedly about to be sent. By then, Ruvalcaba had already purportedly sold her family's condo for $350,000 and transferred proceeds to the scammers. The case was widely reported in late August 2025 and added to the database on 09/01/2025.
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The OECD AI Incidents and Hazards Monitor (AIM) automatically collects and classifies AI-related incidents and hazards in real time from reputable news sources worldwide.
Entities
View all entitiesAlleged: Unknown voice cloning technology developer and Unknown deepfake technology developer developed an AI system deployed by Unknown scammers impersonating Steve Burton , Unknown scammers and Unknown fraudsters, which harmed Steve Burton , General public , Family of Abigail Ruvalcaba and Abigail Ruvalcaba.
Alleged implicated AI systems: WhatsApp , Unknown voice cloning technology , Unknown deepfake technology and Facebook Messenger
Incident Stats
Incident ID
1194
Report Count
1
Incident Date
2024-10-01
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Incident Reports
Reports Timeline
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A Los Angeles woman was scammed out of her life savings after scammers used AI videos of a *General Hospital *star to swindle her,
Abigail Ruvalcaba said she received multiple messages, including deepfake videos, purporting to be from Steve…
Variants
A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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