A woman lost thousands after falling for an AI-generated US colonel on Tinder, believing him to be real.
A woman from the UK has lost a staggering $25,000 after falling for a scam on Tinder involving an AI-generated persona.
The victim, who wishes to be known as Mary, was looking for companionship.
She met someone claiming to be a U.S. Army colonel named Mike Murdy.
However, what began as a hopeful connection turned into a nightmare.
“I’ve never been conned like this in my life,” she said.
The scam began when Mary met the fake Army colonel online.
Mary, who is in her sixties, had been single for 20 years and was excited to find someone on a dating app.
She was drawn to the profile of Mike Murdy, who presented himself as a handsome army colonel stationed in the UK.
He claimed to be 61 years old and quickly engaged her in conversation.
At first, Mary was thrilled. Murdy sent her a video where he appeared in military uniform, looking charming and sincere.
She said: ‘He sent me a video and he was dressed in his uniform with a badge on the uniform reading his name.
He looked quite handsome, like somebody I might date.”
He shared a story about how he had lost his wife to cancer five years earlier and had no family or children.
This backstory made Mary feel a strong emotional connection to him.
The fake US colonel wrote: “In loving memory of my beloved wife today, as I sit in the quiet of our home, I can’t help but feel the weight of your absence, a void that echoes through every room and every moment.
“It’s hard to believe it has been five years yet the memories of you remain vivid, etched in my heart and mind.”
The AI-generated US colonel sent gifts and made promises to gain her trust.
As their conversations continued, Mike Murdy sent Mary gifts.
She received a box containing an ornamental gold flower and a heartfelt note expressing his desire to be with her forever.
This gesture made Mary believe that he was genuinely interested in her.
The note read: “You’re the one I want to be with, now and forever.”
However, things took a turn when Murdy claimed he was on a final mission to Cuba before retirement.
He told Mary he had a life insurance policy that required her help to cash in.
This was the beginning of a series of requests for money that would lead to her significant financial loss.
The AI-generated US colonel asked for money, claiming urgent financial needs arose.
In a follow-up video, Murdy asked her to send money from her Halifax account to receive a briefcase with $766,000.
He used convincing AI-generated videos that included her name and referenced their previous conversations, making the scam feel all the more real.
“He said his wife had a life insurance policy and that he needed my help to cash in on it”, Mary recounted.
The fake colonel urged her to trust him, saying, “Please trust me on this. Let’s make this happen so we can enjoy our retirement together.”
Mary, feeling swept up in their relationship, sent him money.
After she sent a substantial amount, they asked her for more to access the briefcase code.
The turning point came when she discovered the scam’s truth.
As Mary hesitated about sending more money, Murdy sent her another video.
In this clip, he seemed more aggressive, expressing frustration over her reluctance.
He insisted that he wanted a happy retirement with her and that she needed to send the funds quickly.
“Please trust me on this. Let’s make this happen so we can enjoy our retirement together,” Murdy said in one video.
Eventually, feeling pressured, Mary sent the additional money. However, she grew suspicious when she did not receive the promised code.
When she finally opened the briefcase, she was horrified to find it filled with blank sheets of paper instead of cash.
Mary felt devastated when she realized the scam.
She had lost around $25,000 of her savings to what turned out to be a sophisticated fraud using AI technology.
The videos and messages she received were all created by scammers using advanced AI tools.
Mary has expressed her embarrassment and heartbreak over the situation.
“It’s really scary to think the fraudsters have just created these videos,” she said.
She is currently working with the National Fraud Helpline to recover the money she lost.
This story serves as a warning to others about online scams.
Authorities warn people about online scams involving AI
Martin Richardson from the National Fraud Helpline stated that this scam is one of the most elaborate they have seen.
He stressed the importance of caution, especially for those unaware of AI’s ability to manipulate emotions and create fake identities.
“This scam is one of the most elaborate we have ever seen in that it involves AI as well as physical items being sent through the post,” said Martin Richardson.
“Particularly for people unaware of AI, it [is] understandable how they would fall for such a fraud.”
Simon White, a managing partner of AI firm Time Machine Capital Squared, said: “We are witnessing the beginning of an arms race to create technology that can help AI being adopted by fraudsters.”