Associated Incidents
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. --- An 82-year-old Ponte Vedra grandmother says she lost all of her savings, about $200,000, after falling victim to an online scam that used artificial intelligence to impersonate a doctor.
Maurine Meleck said she thought she was investing to secure a future for her grandson, Josh, whom she's raised since he was a child. Josh, who is 28, was diagnosed with autism at age two and still lives with Meleck.
"He's wonderful," Meleck said. "I love him to death."
Meleck said she spends much of her time online since she no longer drives. While scrolling through Facebook, she came across a video of a doctor she recognized from the autism community, someone she thought she could trust. The video encouraged viewers to join an investment opportunity.
"It looked completely real, his face, his voice, everything," she said. "I wanted to save more money for my grandson, and so I fell for it: hook, line and sinker."
The video turned out to be a deepfake, a computer-generated imitation created using artificial intelligence. Meleck said the scammer gained access to her online banking information, draining the $200,000 she had saved for her grandson's future.
"It was being held for Josh when I passed away," she said. "I got very emotional and so angry with myself that I had difficulty functioning. I lost 20 pounds and couldn't sleep because it went through my mind over and over again."
The FBI reports that scams like these are rising sharply. Since 2020, the agency has received more than 4.2 million reports of fraud, totaling $50.5 billion in losses. Experts say AI technology has made it harder for people to tell what's real online.
Officials advise people to look for inconsistencies in videos, such as unnatural blinking or mismatched lip movement, to verify requests using trusted phone numbers or websites and to question emotional or urgent appeals for money.
"People who steal from others, especially those in need, are just heartless," Meleck said.
Meleck filed a police report with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
She says she's sharing her story as a warning, hoping others will think twice before believing what they see online.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family.