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WF-WWXAV2

Florida Couple Reportedly Loses $45,000 in Alleged AI-Generated Elon Musk Impersonation Scam

A Florida couple reportedly lost approximately $45,000 after scammers impersonating Elon Musk used AI-generated deepfake videos and social engineering to run a fake car giveaway and investment scheme. The victim was contacted via Facebook, moved to WhatsApp, and sent personalized videos purporting to show Musk promising prizes and returns. Believing the messages authentic, the victim transferred cash and funds before realizing no car or payout would arrive.

Date it happened
2025-12-15
Organisation involved
Scammers impersonating Elon Musk, Scammers
Product, system or model
WhatsApp, Social media platforms, Deepfake technology, Synthetic audio generation technology
Where this came from
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Attribution

This incident was imported from AI Incident Database and is used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Our additions to it — the structured fields, the translation, the checks against other reports — are published under the same licence.

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