[Ep. 17] Deepfake romance scam cost her mother $80,000 and her home

This episode is a warning for every family living in the age of AI.

 

An elderly Southern California woman named Abigail was targeted by a ruthless cyber scammer using deepfake video and impersonation tactics. The scam was so convincing that she believed she was in a real relationship with Steve Burton from General Hospital. What happened next is heartbreaking. Abigail was manipulated into sending money again and again until more than $81,000 was gone. Then the scam escalated even further. She was pressured into selling her paid off home, leaving her evicted and devastated.

 

Abigail's daughter Vivian joins us to share the story step by step, including the biggest red flags, how scammers isolate victims from family, why these cyber scams are so hard to spot in real time, and how AI deepfakes are changing the scam game forever. If you think you or your loved ones could never fall for something like this, think again. These criminals are using advanced technology, social engineering, and psychological manipulation to target vulnerable people and steal everything.

 

We also kick off the episode with a look at the future of transportation and technology, including Uber's new robotaxi fleet and what it means for self driving cars across the United States.

 

If you care about technology, cybersecurity, online scams, data privacy, identity theft, and staying safe from AI powered fraud, this episode is a must watch.

 

Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to www.getbeyondconnected.com to find the show on other platforms.

 

Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail. 

 

(0:30) - Intro

(3:30) - Uber Robotaxis

(7:00) - The Victim's Daughter Vivian

(8:03) - How Vivian Discovered Scam

(9:15) - How Scammers Groom Victims

(9:47) - Discovering the Scam Cont'd 

(11:11) - Scammer Used Deepfake Video

(12:29) - Scammer Used Romance Angle 

(13:31) - Red Flag #1 

(14:36) - Lonely People Targeted

(15:15) - The Plot Thickens 

(17:08) - Reaching out to LAPD 

(19:02) - Scammer Stole Victim's Home

(21:41) - Sleazy Realtor Took Advantage

(23:54) - Eviction Coming

(23:59) - Vivian Gets Legal Advice

(24:29) - Vivian Hires Attorney

(25:20) - Vivian Hires New Attorney

(26:24)  - Vivian Hires 3rd Attorney

(27:02) - Power of Attorney 

(28:40) - Parents Evicted

(29:18) - Court Battle Continues

(30:37) - Anybody Can Be Scammed

(31:18) - Vivian's Advice

(32:47) - Warning Signs

(33:25) - Delete Your Data

(33:51) - Get Antivirus

(34:28) - Dark Side of Tech

(35:33) - Prevent AI Phishing