Description: A Florida couple reportedly lost approximately $45,000 after scammers impersonating Elon Musk used AI-generated deepfake videos and social engineering to run a fake car giveaway and investment scheme. The victim was contacted via Facebook, moved to WhatsApp, and sent personalized videos purporting to show Musk promising prizes and returns. Believing the messages authentic, the victim transferred cash and funds before realizing no car or payout would arrive.
Entities
View all entitiesAlleged: Unknown deepfake technology developers and Unknown voice cloning technology developers developed an AI system deployed by Unknown scammers and Unknown scammers impersonating Elon Musk, which harmed George Hendricks , Unnamed spouse of George Hendricks , General public , General public of Florida , General public of the United States , Epistemic integrity , Elon Musk , Investors , Elderly individuals and Elderly investors.
Alleged implicated AI systems: Unknown deepfake technology , Unknown voice cloning technology , WhatsApp and Social media platforms
Incident Stats
Incident ID
1306
Report Count
1
Incident Date
2025-12-15
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Incident Reports
Reports Timeline
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LEESBURG, Fla. -- A Leesburg couple is out of tens of thousands of dollars after an alleged car giveaway from billionaire Elon Musk.
George Hendricks, 69, says his life "doesn't really exist" anymore after losing nearly $45,000 to a scam th…
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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