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Incident 1306: Florida Couple Reportedly Loses $45,000 in Alleged AI-Generated Elon Musk Impersonation Scam

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.

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Alleged: Deepfake technology developers and Synthetic audio generation technology developers developed an AI system deployed by Scammers and 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: WhatsApp , Social media platforms , Deepfake technology and Synthetic audio generation technology

Incident Stats

Incident ID
1306
Report Count
2
Incident Date
2025-12-15
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Applied Taxonomies
MIT

MIT Taxonomy Classifications

Machine-Classified
Taxonomy Details

Risk Subdomain

A further 23 subdomains create an accessible and understandable classification of hazards and harms associated with AI
 

4.3. Fraud, scams, and targeted manipulation

Risk Domain

The Domain Taxonomy of AI Risks classifies risks into seven AI risk domains: (1) Discrimination & toxicity, (2) Privacy & security, (3) Misinformation, (4) Malicious actors & misuse, (5) Human-computer interaction, (6) Socioeconomic & environmental harms, and (7) AI system safety, failures & limitations.
 
  1. Malicious Actors & Misuse

Entity

Which, if any, entity is presented as the main cause of the risk
 

AI

Timing

The stage in the AI lifecycle at which the risk is presented as occurring
 

Post-deployment

Intent

Whether the risk is presented as occurring as an expected or unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
 

Intentional

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

+1
Elon Musk giveaway scheme steals $45,000 from Florida couple
Elon Musk deepfake scam steals $45,000 from couple: 'You just never think it's going to be you'
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Elon Musk giveaway scheme steals $45,000 from Florida couple

Elon Musk giveaway scheme steals $45,000 from Florida couple

clickorlando.com

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Elon Musk deepfake scam steals $45,000 from couple: 'You just never think it's going to be you'

Elon Musk deepfake scam steals $45,000 from couple: 'You just never think it's going to be you'

yahoo.com

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Elon Musk giveaway scheme steals $45,000 from Florida couple
clickorlando.com · 2025

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…

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Elon Musk deepfake scam steals $45,000 from couple: 'You just never think it's going to be you'
yahoo.com · 2025

A Florida man is on the verge of losing his home and his marriage after falling prey to a scam including Elon Musk deepfakes.

What's happening?

News 6 detailed how 69-year-old George Hendricks from Leesburg, Florida, had his life unravel af…

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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