Description: A Filipino domestic worker identified as "Maria" reportedly paid ₱100,000 (about $1,625) after a scammer deployed purportedly manipulated real-time video to impersonate Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed during WhatsApp calls. The scammer reportedly claimed the money was for a marriage certificate and "royal membership card" that would help her secure a job in Dubai. Maria reportedly ended contact after noticing that the Facebook account was based in Nigeria.
Entities
View all entitiesAlleged: Synthetic video generation technology developers , Synthetic media generation technology developers and Deepfake technology developers developed an AI system deployed by Scammers in Nigeria , Scammers , Romance scammers , Employment scammers and Cybercriminals, which harmed WhatsApp users , Targets of scams in the United Arab Emirates , Targets of scams , Targets of romance scams , Targets of employment scams , Maria (victim of Dubai prince impersonation scam) , Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum , Facebook users and Social media users.
Alleged implicated AI systems: WhatsApp , Synthetic video generation technology , Synthetic media generation technology , Deepfake technology , Facebook and Social media platforms
Incident Stats
Incident ID
1570
Report Count
1
Incident Date
2026-07-03
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Incident Reports
Reports Timeline
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WASHINGTON - Maria believed she was romancing a prince from Dubai, captivated by his flirtatious smile and declarations of affection he showered on her during live video calls. But the suitor was an AI deepfake, making her yet another victi…
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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