Patra woman defrauded by AI-generated Cristiano Ronaldo deepfake

A woman in Patra, Greece, fell victim to an online scam after being deceived by a deepfake video of football star Cristiano Ronaldo. The fraudster contacted the victim, identified as Mrs. Nikolitsa, through a social media platform, claiming that Ronaldo could provide financial assistance through his charitable work.

To establish credibility and dispel any doubt, the scammer used artificial intelligence to conduct a video call. During the call, the victim saw a highly convincing digital likeness of Ronaldo appearing to speak from inside a white luxury vehicle. Believing the interaction was real, the woman was persuaded to send a total of 100 euros via the IRIS payment system in two separate 50-euro installments. The perpetrator promised that the funds would be returned multiple times over.

The victim realized she had been defrauded after the payments were made. This incident highlights the increasing sophistication of cybercrime, where scammers leverage AI-generated deepfakes to impersonate celebrities and exploit unsuspecting individuals.