Queensland psychologist loses $180,000 to deepfake romance scam
A retired psychologist living in far north Queensland has lost $180,000 to romance fraudsters using advanced deepfake technology. The victim, Michael, believed he was in a 12-month long-distance relationship with a nurse from South Africa named Melanie, whom he met via a dating app.
Investigation revealed that the persona was an artificial intelligence creation. Scammers utilized identity theft, voice-cloning technology, and face-swapping applications to maintain the illusion during video calls. The digital mask was constructed using stolen social media images and YouTube videos from an American doctor.
Dr. Priyanka Singh, a digital forensics specialist at the University of Queensland, identified subtle visual discrepancies in the video calls, such as distortions in earrings and irregular hair movement, which indicated the software was struggling to track the fraudster's actual movements.
Entities
Dr Priyanka Singh · Melanie · Michael · University of Queensland
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] The scammers used deepfake technology, including face-swapping and voice-cloning, to impersonate a nurse from South Africa. www.watoday.com.au · www.brisbanetimes.com.au · www.theage.com.au · www.smh.com.au
- [● 4 SOURCES] Michael felt conflicted between his suspicions and his emotional connection to the person he believed was Melanie. www.watoday.com.au · www.brisbanetimes.com.au · www.theage.com.au · www.smh.com.au
- [● 4 SOURCES] Digital forensics analysis revealed visual distortions in earrings and hair as evidence of face-swapping software usage. www.watoday.com.au · www.brisbanetimes.com.au · www.theage.com.au · www.smh.com.au
- [● 4 SOURCES] A retired psychologist in Queensland lost $180,000 to romance fraudsters. www.watoday.com.au · www.brisbanetimes.com.au · www.theage.com.au · www.smh.com.au
- [● 4 SOURCES] The fraudsters used stolen images and YouTube videos from an American doctor to create the persona. www.watoday.com.au · www.brisbanetimes.com.au · www.theage.com.au · www.smh.com.au