'Furious' pensioner falls victim to Dr Chris Brown love scam as fraudsters use AI to trick her out of $780
A New Zealand grandmother is the latest victim to be targeted by a love scam using AI-generated videos and images of Dr Chris Brown.
Daana Tomlin, 73, was conned out of $786 when she was tricked into believing she had struck up a five-year long online romance with the 46-year-old Bondi Vet star.
The fraudsters used emotionally manipulative messages to convince the pensioner she was in a romantic relationship with the star, reported The Daily Telegraph.
They first made contact with a 'cheeky message' on Facebook while posing as Chris, before moving Daana to Telegram and WhatsApp to continue the manipulation.
Daana, a semi-retired naturopath from Dunedin, said she was conned into sending the scammers almost $800 through gift cards, Apple cards and PayPal.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
The hoaxers used sophisticated AI-generated videos of Chris to speak to Daana and convince her to hand over her cash.
'Whenever I became suspicious and tried to end contact, he'd get angry and send me a video saying he was real. It certainly sounded and looked like him,' she said.
'I'm furious that it's not the real Chris Brown, I paid a few hundred dollars for a meet and greet at New Zealand airport through Apple Cards and gift cards.'
However, when Chris was a no-show at the airport, Daana asked security for help and they said 'they had not seen him'.
Daana said she 'feels silly and embarrassed' for believing it was real, adding the fake Chris would call her 'his wife' and rang 'for five years at 5.30 every morning'.
'What the scammer did was evil, it was devious, exploitative and invasive,' said Daana, who was married for 19 years and has a grown son.
She added she 'thought a need was being met' in her and didn't discover she was being scammed until her support worker discovered the PayPal payments.
The fraudster had claimed they bought Daana a car as a present, but demanded she send several hundred dollars through PayPal to pay for the registration.
Daana isn't the first to fall victim to the sophisticated and long-running love scam.
Last month it was reported UK pensioner Lisa Nock was also conned out of her life savings after falling for the same AI scam.
The 44-year-old from Staffordshire was browsing Instagram in 2022 when a fake account posing as Chris bombarded her with direct messages.
Lisa admitted she was lonely and vulnerable at the time after losing her partner in a car crash, and had been left disabled in another traffic accident.
But the avid animal lover said her life changed and she was delighted when the TV star said he wanted to meet her in England.
'I was chuffed that Chris Brown had messaged me, I'm a huge fan and hoped this might be our chance to meet,' Lisa told the Daily Telegraph at the time.
The surprise messages began a chain of correspondence that spanned two-and-a-half years, but the scammers soon told her Chris needed money to visit her.
They moved the conversation to WhatsApp and continued to groom her, using artificial intelligence to convince her she was in a romantic relationship with him.
'After a few months, I admit I was enamoured. He told me he loved me and wanted us to marry – of course I said no, and asked if it was a scam,' Lisa said.
She tried calling the WhatsApp number, but her attempts were blocked.
Scammers then used a sophisticated AI program to call Lisa via the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
An AI-generated version of Chris said he hoped the call had cleared her doubts.
The conmen also used AI image generators to create 'photos' of the TV doctor and shared them with Lisa, a volunteer English and drama teacher.
She lives off just $1246 each month from her UK pension, two thirds of which she pays to her parents in rent.
The remaining $400 however ended up being sent to the cruel scammers each month for almost three years.
Lisa sent the money through gift cards, Bitcoin and Crypto information.
'I was vulnerable and wanted to believe we could be friends, we both love animals, I had lost my partner in a car crash a few years ago,' she said.
Lisa finally realised it was all fake when the conmen posed as Chris' 'management' team and told her he had been kidnapped, before demanding $40 million.
Lisa has now reported the scam to British police.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lorraine Kelly shares shock bikini picture to highlight dangers of AI beauty filters
surprised viewers with an AI-altered picture of herself wearing a bikini to highlight the dangers of computer-generated beauty filters promoting unrealistic body images. The television presenter revealed a before-and-after image using an AI filter during a segment on ITV 's Lorraine on Thursday morning (12 June). The side-by-side photo shows an untouched picture of Lorraine in a swimsuit on the left, and a dramatically altered version on the right. 'I actually laughed 'cause I thought, crikey,' she said, adding: 'I've got a belly... Who hasn't?' The picture came after presenter Emily Clarkson went viral on social media with a video showing how easy it was to manipulate live images of her own body using phone apps.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Footy great posts hilarious video showing how he turned the tables on a scammer who tried to fleece him for $1000
A former footy great has revealed how he has turned the tables an online scammer. Parramatta great Eric Grothe Jnr shared a hilarious interaction he had with an online fraudster on his Instagram, revealing how he had been approached by the scammer, who tried to dupe him for a large sum of cash. Grothe posted three videos on his Instagram showcasing the interaction with the scammer who had asked him to send him money as well as buy him gift cards from Amazon. Gift card scams have become a prevalent way for con artists to obtain money from individuals as they are often hard to trace and give victims little protection to recover their funds. The interaction between Grothe and the scammer began with the individual asking the former rugby league star to send him $200 US before he began toying with the scammer. The fraudster had appeared to drop into the 45-year-old's direct messages on Instagram, with Grothe replying: 'What do you need the money for?' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eric Grothe Jr (@ericgrothejr) 'Medicine,' the individual replied. Appearing cautious at the start, Grothe responded: 'If you really need the money and you're legitimate I'm sure you'd understand that there are so many scams out there that I can't give money without proof. 'Can you please send me a photo of yourself holding a piece of paper with my name on it? If so, I can help you out.' The scammer appeared to have created a false identity by taking pictures of another individual and falsely using them for their display picture. The scammer later replied by sending back a heavily photoshopped image of a woman, holding a piece of paper. The person appeared to have scribbled the name 'Eric Grothe' in poor handwriting that looked like it had been written digitally on a program like Photoshop. 'I will be so happy if you really help me out Eric,' the fraudster added. Grothe replied: 'OK and last one and I will give you the money straight away. With that exact same piece of paper, also hold up four fingers and make sure your face is showing as well. 'Once this is done I will forward the money to you immediately. Thank you.' Grothe enjoyed a distinguished career in rugby league's top flight, making 142 appearances cumulatively for the Eels and the Roosters, while also being capped for the Kangaroos once. The trickster then questioned how they might complete his request before attempting to give the former Eels star a guilt trip. 'I'm feeling really weak I just tried my best to do that so if you're really gonna help me just do it now,' they wrote adding two 'crying face emojis'. The conversation continued, with the fraudster asking Grothe where he lived and whether he used PayPal. According to ScamWatch, the Australian government has reported 72,230 scams in the past six months with losses from fishing, romance and investment frauds costing Australians approximately $118,993,148.20. 'Scams work because they look like the real thing and scammers contact you when you're not expecting it or are busy trying to do many things at once,' ScamWatch wrote. It adds that scammers attempt to 'create believable stories that convince you to give them your money, financial or personal details.' 'Scammers try to use your good nature against you. They tell heartbreaking or tragic stories to convince you to help them and give them money. 'Always be wary of any appeal for money and never give more money than you are willing to lose if you can't independently confirm that the story is true.' Grothe then began to joke with the fraudster, writing: 'A rich grandparent passed away and left my brother and I almost $4.5million each. I really want to share it with trustworthy people.' The scammer pressed him again: 'If you're really going to help me, just do it dear am not feeling so good.' Grothe questioned whether the individual was sick, to which they replied: 'Yes I am having hot temperatures and headaches. So I wanna visit a hospital but am so broke now to do anything cause my work has not been good lately.' Grothe responded: 'OK that's not a good sign. I'm going to have to help you. Tell me, does it also feel like somebody slammed your body down and wound it all around?' 'Yes, my bones feel so weak now,' the scammer said, before asking again whether to send their PayPal details. Grothe hilariously then joked that he was starting to fall 'completely in love' with the scammer. 'Aahh man I can't believe I'm saying this. Do you feel what I feel? You do. I know it,' he wrote, before adding that he was going to send the scammer 'so much money today' before asking how. 'OK darling you might be the right man for me so am not gonna say no,' the scammer replied. But Grothe pushed the joke further: 'My whole family are helping me write this because I'm so emotional.' He hilariously told the fraudster he loved them before adding: 'Whatever is mine is yours.' The fraudster again asked him if he could send the money over so that they could visit the hospital. Grothe, instead, deflected the question again confessing his love for the fraudster adding that he was going to send them half of his inheritance. 'I know we are supposed to be together,' he joked. 'I know I'm coming on a little strong but when you know, you understand and when you understand you finally come to get it and then you work it out and once you've worked it out, it's there for all to see!' The scammer simply replied: 'OK' before again asking him to send them the money on multiple occasions, adding that they would accept $2,000 instead of $2m. The conversation continued as Grothe continued to play the scammer at their own game, joking: 'I'm so lucky to be your man.' Appearing more frustrated as the back and forth continued, the scammer wrote: 'My man must care about my health, it seems you just lie to me about helping me with some money.' Grothe kept up the running joke, replying: 'Baby! We can work it out!' 'Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend. I have always thought that it was a crime. So I will ask you once again. 'Won't you try to see it my way? Do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on? 'If you need this money, help me send it to you right now. I'm sick of all this back and forth. I'm an action-taker. If I see action I will take it. A taker of action, if you will.' The exchange continued on in the same fashion, with Grothe seeing through the fraudster's scheme, as they repeatedly asked him if he used PayPal. 'Don't call me Pal,' Grothe hilariously quipped back. In a later video, the former NRL star revealed that the scammer had then asked him to buy them multiple Steam vouchers on Amazon, totalling around $1,000. The conversation even went as far as seeing the scammer explain to the former Eels star how to redeem the vouchers, with Grothe hilariously playing dumb, purposefully wasting the scammer's time. He even went as far as sending them back a video of the fuel dial on his car, when the scammer asked him to click on a link to buy the vouchers. The scammer continued to press him, but Grothe continued to mislead the individual by hilariously joking that his ex had come back. The scammer appeared furious replying: 'You don't seem to have respect for me.' They added: 'You sound so annoying, you talk about your ex every minute I don't want to share my man if you're for me you should be only for me and no one else.' The long exchange culminated in a rather humerous ending with Grothe saying: 'I think I'm done.' The scammer replied: 'OK'. ScamWatch urges caution to individuals before giving money or personal information to those they don't know or are unsure of. They urge members of the public to 'stop' and 'check'. 'Ask yourself: "Could the message or call be fake?"' They urge members of the public to 'act quickly and contact a bank if a scammer gets your money and report scams to ScamWatch.'
Geeky Gadgets
3 hours ago
- Geeky Gadgets
How to Use Google Veo 3 for Effortless Automated Video Creation
What if creating stunning, professional-grade videos didn't require hours of editing or advanced technical skills? Enter Google Veo 3, a innovative AI-powered video generator that's transforming how we approach video production. Whether you're a marketer aiming to captivate your audience, an educator crafting engaging lessons, or a content creator looking to stand out on social media, this tool promises to make video creation faster, easier, and more accessible than ever. Imagine uploading a few images, typing out your ideas, and watching as the platform generates a polished video draft in minutes—no prior expertise required. With Creator Magic's step-by-step guidance, you'll unlock the full potential of this innovative platform and discover just how seamless video production can be. In this walkthrough video by Creator Magic, you'll learn how to navigate Google Veo 3's intuitive interface, harness its powerful text-to-video conversion feature, and customize your projects with precision. From selecting the perfect template to adding personalized touches like voiceovers and branded visuals, this guide will empower you to create content that resonates with your audience. But that's not all—Google Veo 3 also offers tools to optimize your videos for different platforms, making sure they perform effectively across Instagram, YouTube, and beyond. By the end, you'll not only understand how to use this tool but also how to use it to elevate your creative projects. Ready to reimagine what's possible in video production? Let's explore. Getting Started with Google Veo 3 Google Veo 3 simplifies the video production process by automating many of the time-consuming tasks. To begin, you'll need access to the platform, which operates through a user-friendly web-based interface. Once logged in, follow these steps to initiate your project: Select a Project Type or Template: Choose from a wide range of templates designed for specific purposes, such as marketing campaigns, educational content, or social media posts. Choose from a wide range of templates designed for specific purposes, such as marketing campaigns, educational content, or social media posts. Input Your Content: Upload the text, images, or video clips you want to include in your project. The platform supports a variety of file formats for seamless integration. Upload the text, images, or video clips you want to include in your project. The platform supports a variety of file formats for seamless integration. Generate a Draft: The AI processes your input and creates an initial video draft, which serves as a foundation for further customization. The platform's intuitive design ensures a smooth experience, even for users with minimal video production expertise. Each step is clearly outlined, allowing you to focus on creativity rather than technical challenges. Key Features and Customization Options Google Veo 3 stands out due to its robust customization tools, allowing you to craft videos that align perfectly with your creative vision. After generating the initial draft, you can refine and enhance your video using the following features: Text-to-Video Conversion: Transform written content into dynamic, visually engaging videos using AI-generated animations, graphics, and transitions. Transform written content into dynamic, visually engaging videos using AI-generated animations, graphics, and transitions. Template Library: Access an extensive collection of pre-designed templates tailored to various industries, including education, marketing, and corporate communication. Access an extensive collection of pre-designed templates tailored to various industries, including education, marketing, and corporate communication. Scene Editing: Modify individual scenes by adjusting colors, fonts, transitions, layouts, and other visual elements to match your branding or stylistic preferences. Modify individual scenes by adjusting colors, fonts, transitions, layouts, and other visual elements to match your branding or stylistic preferences. Voiceover Integration: Add AI-generated or custom voiceovers in multiple languages and accents to enhance the narrative and accessibility of your video. Add AI-generated or custom voiceovers in multiple languages and accents to enhance the narrative and accessibility of your video. Media Uploads: Personalize your project by incorporating your own images, video clips, and audio files, making sure the final product reflects your unique style. These tools provide the flexibility to create polished, professional-grade videos tailored to your specific needs, whether for branding, education, or communication purposes. Google Veo 3 Perfect for Marketers & Creators Watch this video on YouTube. Dive deeper into Google Veo AI video generator with other articles and guides we have written below. Optimizing Video Outputs To maximize the impact of your videos, Google Veo 3 includes a suite of optimization tools designed to adapt your content for different platforms and audiences. These features ensure your videos perform effectively across various channels: Platform-Specific Adjustments: Automatically resize and format videos to meet the technical requirements of platforms like Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more. Automatically resize and format videos to meet the technical requirements of platforms like Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more. Performance Analytics: Gain valuable insights into your video's potential effectiveness by analyzing factors such as audience engagement, visual appeal, and targeting accuracy. By using these optimization tools, you can fine-tune your videos to ensure they resonate with your target audience and achieve their intended purpose. Applications and Use Cases The versatility of Google Veo 3 makes it an invaluable tool for professionals across a wide range of industries. Its ability to streamline video production while maintaining high-quality output opens up numerous possibilities, including: Marketing Campaigns: Create attention-grabbing promotional videos that drive customer engagement and boost brand awareness. Create attention-grabbing promotional videos that drive customer engagement and boost brand awareness. Educational Content: Develop tutorials, explainer videos, or online course materials that captivate and inform learners effectively. Develop tutorials, explainer videos, or online course materials that captivate and inform learners effectively. Corporate Communications: Produce professional training videos, executive presentations, or internal updates with ease and efficiency. Produce professional training videos, executive presentations, or internal updates with ease and efficiency. Social Media Content: Generate visually appealing posts and stories optimized for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Generate visually appealing posts and stories optimized for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Event Coverage: Summarize key moments from conferences, webinars, or live events in a polished and professional format. These diverse applications demonstrate the platform's ability to cater to a broad spectrum of creative and professional needs, making it a valuable asset for individuals and organizations alike. Streamlining Video Production with Google Veo 3 Google Veo 3 combines the power of artificial intelligence with user-friendly tools to simplify and enhance the video creation process. Whether you're producing marketing materials, educational content, or social media videos, this platform offers the flexibility and efficiency to deliver high-quality results. By following the outlined steps and exploring its robust features, you can streamline your workflow, save time, and create impactful content tailored to your audience's needs. Media Credit: Creator Magic Filed Under: AI, Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
