AI scam horror unfolds as a British grandmother loses £500k to a fraudster posing as Jason Momoa using deepfake videos
A shocking case of AI scam horror has emerged after a British grandmother was defrauded of £500,000 by a criminal impersonating Hollywood actor Jason Momoa using AI-generated videos and manipulated messages.
Also read: Nigerian man, five Thais nabbed over 114m online love scam
The widow believed her celebrity “boyfriend” was helping her plan a dream home in Hawaii after she commented on a fan page and the imposter responded.
The scammer claimed his money was tied up in film projects and persuaded her to transfer funds to support their supposed shared future.
Hopeful and emotionally vulnerable, she transferred half a million pounds from the sale of her Cambridgeshire home.
Once the payment was made, all communication stopped and the fraudster disappeared.
Cambridgeshire Police said the case sounded “far-fetched but true,” warning that the woman was now left without a home after falling prey to the sophisticated deception.
Speaking to The Sun, the victim explained that the operation was highly convincing.
She believed she had spoken with Momoa’s teenage daughter and was told that a marriage certificate was required to secure the property they planned to buy together.
Fraud prevention officer Dave York warned that scammers deliberately target the emotionally fragile. He said, “Scammers target those at their lowest ebb, looking to fill a gap in their lives.”
Authorities say the case is part of a rising wave of AI-powered celebrity romance scams affecting victims across the UK and the US.
Also read: Roman Novak found murdered after $500m crypto scam
In recent months, other victims—including a grandmother in Newcastle—have lost tens of thousands of pounds to similar deepfake-driven schemes.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
