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Man travels 2,000 km to meet romantic interest created by AI
Edimar Rocha Martins, a 49-year-old bricklayer, traveled over 2,000 kilometers from Imperatriz, Maranhão, to Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, only to discover that his romantic interest was an artificial intelligence creation.
Martins had been interacting with a social media profile known as ‘Jéssica Oliveira’ or ‘Jéssica Fazendeira,’ which boasts over 300,000 followers. The persona featured realistic videos of a woman living on a farm, promising a life of comfort and even offering to help cover travel costs. Because the profile never requested direct money, Martins did not suspect a scam.
Upon arriving in Belo Horizonte, Martins found no trace of the woman. After seeking assistance from the city's migrant support services, he received food, hygiene facilities, and guidance on digital fraud risks. The Belo Horizonte municipal government eventually provided him with a bus ticket to return to his birthplace, Augustinópolis, Tocantins.
Entities
Belo Horizonte · Edimar Rocha Martins · Imperatriz · Jéssica Oliveira · Prefeitura de Belo Horizonte
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Municipal social assistance arranged a bus ticket for Edimar to return to Augustinópolis, Tocantins. mahoje.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] The online profile had more than 300,000 followers. mahoje.com.br · saobentoemfoco.com.br · www.spacemoney.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] Edimar Rocha Martins, a 49-year-old bricklayer from Imperatriz, Maranhão, traveled over 2,000 kilometers by bus to Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. mahoje.com.br · saobentoemfoco.com.br · www.spacemoney.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] The woman Edimar intended to meet, known online as Jéssica Oliveira or Jéssica Fazendeira, was an AI-generated persona. mahoje.com.br · saobentoemfoco.com.br · www.spacemoney.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Migrant Reception and Assistance Unit provided Edimar with food, a bath, and guidance on social media scams. mahoje.com.br · www.spacemoney.com.br
- [● 3 SOURCES] The persona claimed to be a divorced mother looking for a partner to live on a farm in Minas Gerais. mahoje.com.br · saobentoemfoco.com.br · www.spacemoney.com.br
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The profile did not request money from Edimar, which led him to believe it was not a scam. www.spacemoney.com.br