Woman Defrauded of £17k in AI-Powered Romance Scam Using Deepfakes

A 77-year-old retired lecturer from Edinburgh, Nikki MacLeod, has spoken out about being deceived in an online romance scam that involved AI-generated deepfake videos. The scam, which resulted in MacLeod losing £17,000, underscores the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals who use artificial intelligence to manipulate unsuspecting victims. MacLeod explained that after experiencing loneliness from losing her parents during the COVID-19 lockdown and the end of a long-term relationship, she turned to online chat groups, where she met a woman named “Alla Morgan.”