Thursday, 27 August 2026 ⚠️ Real Incident

Realistic video calls hide a costly online romance scam

An intelligent retired man lost $180,000 to an online romance scam. He was tricked by a fake digital mask used during live video calls.

What happened

A 73-year-old retired psychologist named Michael believed he had found his soulmate in a 12-month online relationship. He carefully checked her passport and nursing registration, but she still turned out to be fake. After he sent $180,000 to help her, he discovered that she did not exist.

How it worked

Scammers stole pictures and videos from an innocent doctor's social media accounts. They used artificial intelligence and face-swapping software to wear a 'digital mask' during live video calls. The software copied the scammer's real-time movements onto the doctor's face and cloned her voice to make the lie look real.

How to protect yourself

• Watch for small visual errors during video calls, such as distorted jewelry, strange backgrounds, or fingers that do not look normal.
• Ask trusted family members or friends for their honest opinion about your new online partner.
• Do not send money or financial help to someone you have never met in person.

Source: Nine.com.au