South Korean woman duped of ₹ 41 lakh with Elon Musk's deepfake video

An Instagram user made the woman believe that he was Musk and shared pictures from work, talked about his personal life.

Published on: Apr 25, 2024, 20:14:50 IST

By HT News Desk

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A South Korean woman fell victim to a scam involving Elon Musk's deepfake video and lost more than ₹41 lakh. The scammer tricked the woman into believing that she was talking to the American billionaire.

A South Korean woman fell victim to a scam involving Elon Musk's deepfake video and lost more than ₹41 lakh. (REUTERS)

According to a report by the Independent, the woman came into contact with the scammer on Instagram. The man made her believe that he was Musk by sharing pictures from work, talking about his children and how he contacted his fans randomly.

“I experienced something like a dream last year. On July 17, ‘Musk’ added me as a friend on Instagram. Although I have been a huge fan of Musk after reading his autobiography, I doubted it at first,” the woman told South Korean broadcaster KBS.

“’Musk’ sent me his ID card and a photo of him at work. In addition, ‘Musk’ talked about his children and about taking a helicopter to work at Tesla or SpaceX. He also explained that he contacts fans randomly,” she added.

ALSO READ| How Elon Musk keeps ticking along

The woman's initial doubts about the man's identity were removed when they made a video call. The man allegedly used a deepfake video of Musk to deceive the woman. During the video call, he even confessed his love for her.

“‘Musk’ even said, ‘I love you, you know that?’ when we made a video call,” the woman said.

The conman then convinced her to invest money to become rich and gave her a Korean bank account number. "I’m happy when my fans are getting rich because of me," the scammer allegedly told her.

Menace of deepfakes

Misusing artificial intelligence to create deepfakes has emerged to be a global concern. There have been many instances of people from various parts of the world being duped, fooled and influenced by such deepfakes.

Recently, deepfakes of Bollywood actors Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh were used in a bid to influence voters in the Lok Sabha election 2024. In the videos, the stars were shown supporting political parties over their rival ones.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

Get the latest World News, breaking headlines and global updates from the US, UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia and other countries. Follow major international events on Hindustan Times.