Associated Incidents
A 43-year-old unemployed Briton thought he had found an unexpected connection with a Hollywood star. What he found instead was the sharp edge of an elaborate online scam, one of a growing number of AI-fueled deceptions playing on trust, loneliness, and the promise of celebrity attention.
Over five months, Paul Davis, who suffers from depression, became entangled in a web of fake messages, deepfake videos, and doctored images, all from fraudsters pretending to be actress Jennifer Aniston.
They called him "my love", sent flirty emojis, and even shared what appeared to be a copy of her driver's license. Eventually, they persuaded him to send $270 worth of Apple gift cards, supposedly to help the Golden Globe-winning star with her "financial issues".
"I believed it, and I paid," Davis admitted. "I got bitten. Once bitten, twice shy."
The scam was part of a much larger and increasingly sophisticated trend. Davis says he's been relentlessly targeted by impersonators using artificial intelligence to mimic celebrities such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. In one AI-generated video, a fake Zuckerberg flashes an ID and says, "This is not a scam, believe me," before insisting he's a "genuine person".
These kinds of frauds often begin with an emotional hook: a famous name, a flattering message, or a phony prize. In Davis's case, the scammers bombarded him with AI-manipulated images, messages about fake Facebook contests, and promises of cash rewards and luxury vehicles.
"I thought someone would get in trouble for this," Davis said. "But they seem to be having a laugh, and getting away with it."
He's not alone. One acquaintance, Davis said, lost more than £1,000 to similar scams. Earlier this year, a French woman was conned out of £700,000 by someone posing as Brad Pitt. Others have reported impersonations of Owen Wilson and other A-list celebrities.
Davis, who said he can't afford to keep absorbing such financial losses, now wants to raise awareness about the emotional and financial toll of these scams.
"There are so many red flags, but when it's dressed up like something real, you ignore them," he said. "Next time, I won't."