Reported Use of Deepfake Video Impersonating Owen Wilson in Romance Scam with Fake Job Payments
A Reddit user reported in May 2025 that her mother is being groomed by scammers using an AI-generated deepfake video impersonating actor Owen Wilson. The scam reportedly began on a game app (Yahtzee with Friends) and shifted to WhatsApp voice calls, with the victim promised a fake Warner Bros job paying small sums via Cash App. The scammer allegedly claims he will buy a house for the victim's family as part of the deception. The video is cited as the main “proof” of authenticity.
- Date it happened
- 2025-05-16
- Organisation involved
- Unknown scammers impersonating Owen Wilson, Scammers
- Product, system or model
- Yahtzee with Friends, WhatsApp, Deepfake technology developers, Synthetic audio generation technology developers
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