DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: An AI deepfake romance scam cost a Filipino domestic worker 100,000 pesos after a fraudster impersonated Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, AFP reported.
The victim, identified only as Maria, met the scammer on a dating site before the conversation moved to WhatsApp.
AFP said the scammer used real-time video calls that appeared to show Sheikh Hamdan, also known as Fazza.
In one recording reviewed by AFP, the face matched the prince’s appearance and lip movements, but the voice did not match him. Maria said the scammer sent romantic messages even while she slept.
The scammer persuaded her to pay 100,000 pesos, about USD 1,625, for a fake marriage certificate and “royal membership card.” He claimed the documents would help her secure a job in Dubai, according to AFP.
Maria grew suspicious after he demanded another 60,000 pesos, about USD 974, for a hotel booking. She later found that the Facebook account was based in Nigeria and cut off contact.
AFP identified several Facebook groups impersonating Sheikh Hamdan and directing users to WhatsApp or Telegram chats.
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The Global Anti-Scam Alliance estimated that consumers worldwide lost USD 442 billion to scams, including romance fraud, last year.
Cornell University researcher David Rand told AFP that real-time video deepfakes are improving rapidly and could soon make remote conversations harder to verify.
