Caleb Mills arrested for alleged AI-driven catfishing scheme

Caleb Mills, 25, has been arrested in Georgia for allegedly orchestrating an elaborate catfishing and fraud scheme. According to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, Mills used stolen photographs from a Florida sheriff’s deputy’s social media, voice-altering tools, and artificial intelligence to create a fake persona named ‘Hailey Morello.’

One victim reportedly believed he was engaged to the persona, providing Mills with an undisclosed amount of money and even lending him a personal vehicle. The deception was uncovered after the victim’s family grew suspicious and conducted their own investigation. When the family attempted to warn the victim, Mills allegedly filed a harassment complaint with authorities while posing as a member of the fake persona’s family.

Investigators believe Mills targeted multiple victims across several states using these fraudulent identities.