{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-09-30T05:36:18.257Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"investment-scam","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"unknown","evidence":"","year":"","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":4,"coverage":{"cases":4,"countries":3,"languages":2,"unknownLocation":1,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":2,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":2,"minors":0,"coreRelations":0,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":4,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":4},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2025-gwinnett-couple-crypto-scam-ai-generated-ghost-site-800k","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'A retired Georgia couple is warning others after losing their entire life savings—nearly $800,000—in an elaborate cryptocurrency scam that began with a message on WhatsApp.'; 'attempted to withdraw more money—and couldn’t. He called 911.'; 'They are working with Gwinnett County police'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'said they lost $802,000 in a cryptocurrency scam this year.'; 'inside his northeast Gwinnett County home last week.'; 'He had just tried to withdraw money from his cryptocurrency account, but couldn’t.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"A couple in Gwinnett County, Georgia, lost about $800,000 (the AJC says $802,000) in a cryptocurrency scam; the husband found out when he tried to withdraw money and could not.","causal_attribution":"Two separate interviews with the couple (FOX 5 and the AJC)."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Gwinnett County police explained that while the app he was using was real, the scammers had created an AI-generated \"ghost site\" that manipulated what he saw on the screen.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"According to FOX 5, Gwinnett County police explained that while the trading app was real, the scammers had created an AI-generated \"ghost site\" that manipulated what the husband saw on his screen.","causal_attribution":"Police explanation as relayed by FOX 5; no other inspected source mentions AI."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The 74-year-old’s head was spinning. He felt sick.'; 'It’s teary, embarrassing. I feel ashamed.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'say the ordeal left them angry, embarrassed, and financially devastated.'; 'The couple's children have launched a GoFundMe to help them meet day-to-day expenses.'; 'investigators say in many cases like this, the victims rarely recover their funds.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The husband, 74, described feeling sick and ashamed; the couple said they were financially devastated and their children started a fundraiser for day-to-day expenses; police said victims rarely recover such funds.","causal_attribution":"The couple's accounts to two outlets."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A retired Georgia couple is warning others after losing their entire life savings—nearly $800,000—in an elaborate cryptocurrency scam that began with a message on WhatsApp.'; 'encouraging him to invest in cryptocurrency using a mobile trading app.'; 'seeing modest returns, and even able to withdraw funds—building his trust.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"According to FOX 5, the couple are retired, the money was their entire life savings, and the scam began when a stranger contacted the husband on WhatsApp and encouraged him to invest through a mobile trading app, where he traded small amounts and could withdraw funds before investing more.","causal_attribution":"The couple's account to FOX 5 only."}],"effects":[{"label":"a couple lost about $800,000 in a cryptocurrency scam","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the husband describes feeling sick and ashamed; the couple's children started a fundraiser to help them meet day-to-day expenses","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-couple-loses-800k-sophisticated-cryptocurrency-scam","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Full body read by curl on 2026-09-29 (published 12 June 2025). FOX 5 interviewed the couple and relays an explanation from Gwinnett County police.","independence_group":"fox5"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/06/gwinnett-couple-warn-others-after-losing-800k-in-cryptocurrency-scam/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read by curl on 2026-09-29 (published 12 June 2025). Only the headline, caption and first paragraphs are legible; the rest of the body is served scrambled (reversed, reordered words) and could not be read. The AJC interviewed the husband separately. r.jina.ai 403.","independence_group":"ajc"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance"],"unknowns":["How AI was used to generate the fake site.","Where the scammers were based.","Whether any funds were recovered or anyone charged.","When the scheme began."],"geography":{"basis":"Both outlets locate the couple in Gwinnett County, Georgia (the AJC: their northeast Gwinnett County home); where the scammers operated is unknown.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a concrete fraud case in which police are reported to have identified an AI-generated fake site; the loss is independently reported by two outlets, the AI element by one.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"FOX 5 relays Gwinnett County police saying the scammers created an AI-generated \"ghost site\"; no other inspected source mentions AI and the tool is not described.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["unknown"]},"name":"Gwinnett County, Georgia: a retired couple lost about $800,000 in a WhatsApp-initiated crypto scam that police said used an AI-generated \"ghost site\" to fake their balances (2025)","summary":"A retired couple in Gwinnett County, Georgia, told FOX 5 Atlanta and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in June 2025 that they had lost about $800,000 ($802,000 per the AJC), their life savings, in a cryptocurrency scam that began when a stranger contacted the husband on WhatsApp and encouraged him to trade through a mobile app. He traded and withdrew small amounts before investing more, and discovered the fraud when he could not withdraw and called 911. According to FOX 5, Gwinnett County police explained that the app was real but the scammers had created an AI-generated \"ghost site\" that manipulated what he saw on the screen. The 74-year-old said he felt sick and ashamed; the couple's children started a fundraiser for day-to-day expenses, and police said such funds are rarely recovered.","incidentDate":"2025-01-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"year","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2025-06-12","aiSystem":"Unspecified AI tool used by scammers to generate a fake (\"ghost\") site showing false account balances, per police as relayed by FOX 5","aiProduct":"Unidentified AI tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A retired couple lost about $800,000, their life savings, to a crypto investment scam (their accounts to FOX 5 and the AJC); police told FOX 5 the scammers used an AI-generated fake site to show false balances. The husband describes shame and distress.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"The husband and wife, who lost their joint savings (2 other people: they were deceived by the scammers' AI-made site rather than using an AI system themselves).","victimAgeRange":"elderly","jurisdiction":"US-GA","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-couple-loses-800k-sophisticated-cryptocurrency-scam","primarySourceLabel":"FOX 5 Atlanta, 12 June 2025: Georgia couple loses $800K in sophisticated cryptocurrency scam","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T09:10:55.774776+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:04.010995+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["investment-scam","cryptocurrency","whatsapp","ai-generated-site","elderly","georgia","gwinnett"]},{"id":"2026-argentina-jorge-martinez-ai-messi-milei-video-investment-scam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'La primera estafa comenzó cuando Martínez se interesó por una supuesta plataforma de inversión que utilizaba videos falsos de Lionel Messi y Javier Milei, creados con Inteligencia Artificial, como parte de una estrategia para atraer a posibles víctimas.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'La primera estafa comenzó en una plataforma digital que usaba videos falsos de Lionel Messi y Javier Milei creados con Inteligencia Artificial para captar víctimas.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Fue estafado por una plataforma promocionada con IA en la que utilizaban un video de Messi y otro de Milei para captar gente'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The 79-year-old actor Jorge Martínez was drawn into a supposed investment platform that used AI-generated fake videos of Lionel Messi and Javier Milei, and transferred money to it.","causal_attribution":"La Criti's post and both outlets say the platform used AI-made videos of Messi and Milei to attract people; none says whether he saw them or that they drew him in, and his quoted words do not mention the videos or AI."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'“Cuando llegaron a los $19.300 de intereses me preguntaron a dónde me los mandaban y les dije que a mi cuenta. Les di mi cuenta, como un bol…, y cuando fui al banco a la tarde me habían dejado en cero mis cuatro cuentas”, relató Martínez.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"After two weeks of calls showing fictitious interest, the scammers asked for his bank details to pay out the gains, and his four bank accounts were emptied the same day.","causal_attribution":"His account; the amount lost in the first scam is not stated."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Me sacaron los 1400 dólares que había depositado en el banco'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Soon after, a separate scam by callers posing as Temu took the 1,400 dollars he had deposited; no AI element is reported in that second scam.","causal_attribution":"Recorded as context; the second scam is not attributed to AI."}],"effects":[{"label":"savings in four bank accounts emptied after an investment platform promoted with AI-made celebrity videos","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://laopinionaustral.com.ar/argentina/jorge-martinez-victima-de-una-doble-estafa-un-falso-messi-creado-con-ia-y-una-supuesta-bonificacion-de-temu-713028.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"es","translation_note":"Read live in Spanish on 2026-09-29 (La Opinión Austral, 28 September 2026). Relays the actor's account as told by journalist Nahuel Saa (La Criti). Researcher translation.","independence_group":"la-criti-account"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.pronto.com.ar/espectaculos/2026/9/28/jorge-martinez-victima-de-una-doble-estafa-le-vaciaron-las-cuentas-y-perdio-todos-sus-ahorros-264332.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"es","translation_note":"Read live in Spanish on 2026-09-29 (Pronto, 28 September 2026); same account and quotes. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"la-criti-account"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://x.com/LaCritiok/status/2104695128891756941","kind":"journalist_social_post","access":"read","language":"es","translation_note":"Post text read in Spanish on 2026-09-29 via api.fxtwitter.com (bodies/verify-ar-lacriti-x-2104695128891756941.json); the attached 99-second video of Martínez speaking was not transcribed. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"la-criti-account"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["The amount lost in the first scam and when it happened.","Whether he filed a police complaint.","Which platform and videos were involved."],"geography":{"basis":"Martínez is presented by Argentine outlets as a telenovela actor and the amounts he describes are in pesos (La Opinión Austral; Pronto); no body states his residence. The scammers' phone numbers came from Spain and England per his account; the platform's location is unknown, so no event country is recorded.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":["AR"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an adverse financial experience (an investment platform promoted with AI-made videos of Messi and Milei, on which he lost the savings in his four bank accounts); the AI system's relation to him is unknown. The account is his, relayed by the journalist La Criti and two Argentine outlets; he is a public figure. The AI element rests on that account.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Journalist Nahuel Saa (La Criti) posted on X on 28 September 2026 that Martínez was defrauded by a platform 'promocionada con IA' that used a video of Messi and another of Milei to attract people; La Opinión Austral and Pronto rewrite this as fake videos created with AI. Martínez's quoted words do not mention AI or the videos. The videos were not inspected and the AI claim is not independently verified. The AI depicted third parties; no AI relation to the actor himself is established, so the relation is unknown.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["unknown"]},"name":"Argentina: actor Jorge Martínez, 79, loses the savings in his four bank accounts to an investment platform promoted with AI-made fake videos of Lionel Messi and Javier Milei, then loses 1,400 dollars to a separate fake-Temu call","summary":"Journalist Nahuel Saa (La Criti) reported in September 2026 that the 79-year-old telenovela actor Jorge Martínez, who was saving a sum in dollars, had fallen for two consecutive online scams. In the first, he became interested in a supposed investment platform that used fake videos of Lionel Messi and Javier Milei created with artificial intelligence, transferred money, and received calls for about two weeks showing growing interest. When the callers asked where to send 19,300 pesos of 'interest', he gave his bank account, and that afternoon his four accounts had been emptied. He noted that the callers' numbers were from Spain and England. Soon after, callers posing as Temu promised him a 500,000-peso loyalty bonus, asked for his account, and took the 1,400 dollars he had deposited; no AI element is reported in that second scam.","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-28","aiSystem":"AI-generated fake videos of Lionel Messi and Javier Milei used to promote the investment platform (per the relayed account); the tool is not identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"An elderly actor lost the savings in his four bank accounts after being recruited by an investment platform promoted with AI-made celebrity videos (his account via La Criti, La Opinión Austral and Pronto).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, Jorge Martínez (La Opinión Austral; Pronto). Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"elderly","jurisdiction":"AR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"unknown","primarySourceUrl":"https://laopinionaustral.com.ar/argentina/jorge-martinez-victima-de-una-doble-estafa-un-falso-messi-creado-con-ia-y-una-supuesta-bonificacion-de-temu-713028.html","primarySourceLabel":"La Opinión Austral, 28 September 2026: Jorge Martínez, víctima de una doble estafa: un falso Messi creado con IA y una supuesta bonificación de Temu","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T03:22:15.951695+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:24.357832+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfakes","investment-scam","celebrity-deepfake","messi","milei","elderly","argentina","financial-loss"]},{"id":"2026-bengaluru-mahalakshmi-layout-deepfake-leaders-forex-investment-scam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani to be genuine, a city resident fell victim to an investment scam and lost Rs 7.66 lakh.'; 'came across the videos on Facebook on July 10. The videos purportedly showed Modi and others promoting online investments.'; 'Between July 10 and July 22, he transferred Rs 7.6 lakh to the bank accounts the suspects shared in multiple transactions.'; 'The victim clicked on a link given in the videos and wired Rs 22,000 to start his investment journey.'; 'The callers identified themselves as representatives of ‘One Two Markets’ company and told him that he could earn more if he got into forex trading.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'A 39-year-old Bengaluru resident allegedly lost ₹7.66 lakh after falling victim to an investment scam promoted through deepfake videos featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"According to his FIR, a 39-year-old Mahalakshmi Layout resident saw Facebook videos on 10 July 2026 purportedly showing Narendra Modi and others promoting online investments, believed the deepfake videos to be genuine, clicked a link and, between 10 and 22 July, transferred about Rs 7.6 lakh (Rs 7.66 lakh in total) to accounts supplied by callers from a purported forex company.","causal_attribution":"The complainant's FIR as reported by Deccan Herald and repeated by Mangalore Today; the deepfake characterisation is the reports', without technical confirmation."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'the victim reached out to the police and an FIR was registered on September 19. A probe is ongoing.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'An FIR was registered on September 19, and an investigation is underway.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"An FIR was registered on 19 September 2026 and a probe is ongoing.","causal_attribution":"Deccan Herald and Mangalore Today (one reporting chain)."}],"effects":[{"label":"a Bengaluru man lost Rs 7.66 lakh to a forex scheme he joined after deepfake videos of public figures appeared to endorse it","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/bengaluru-man-falls-for-pm-modi-anant-ambani-deepfakes-loses-over-rs-7-lakh-4160183","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Deccan Herald, DHNS, 25 September 2026; English). The visible page is truncated; the full article was read from its JSON-LD articleBody, which also embeds a related-article headline (a different Sitharaman-deepfake case) that is not used.","independence_group":"bengaluru-fir-deccanherald"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.mangaloretoday.com/headlines/Bengaluru-man-loses-Rs-7-66-lakh-after-falling-for-Modi-Anant-Ambani-deepfake-investment-videos.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 via the site's print view of the same article (Mangalore Today, 26 September 2026; English). Repeats the Deccan Herald FIR account; treated as derivative.","independence_group":"bengaluru-fir-deccanherald"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Which police station registered the FIR and under which sections.","Whether the videos were examined and what tool made them; the deepfake label is the reports'.","Who operated the scheme and where; the +44 numbers do not establish location.","Whether any money has been traced or frozen."],"geography":{"basis":"The complainant lives in Mahalakshmi Layout, Bengaluru, and the FIR was registered in Bengaluru (Deccan Herald). The callers used +44 numbers, which does not establish where they were. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an everyday financial adverse experience: an unnamed complainant lost Rs 7.66 lakh after deepfake videos of public figures lured him into a forex scheme, reported by Deccan Herald and repeated by Mangalore Today (one chain; claims reported).","reviewed_on":"2026-09-27"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Deccan Herald's own lede calls the Facebook videos deepfakes of Narendra Modi, Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani. The FIR account it reports says only that the videos 'purportedly showed Modi and others promoting online investments'. No technical examination is reported. The relation is recorded as unknown: the AI videos impersonated third parties (public figures) to lure the complainant and did not depict, address or act for him in any way the reports establish; his dealings after clicking the link were with human callers.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["unknown"]},"name":"Bengaluru (Karnataka): a 39-year-old man reports losing Rs 7.66 lakh to a forex 'investment' scheme after deepfake Facebook videos of Narendra Modi, Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani appeared to promote it (July 2026; FIR 19 September 2026)","summary":"According to an FIR reported by Deccan Herald, a 39-year-old resident of Mahalakshmi Layout, Bengaluru, saw videos on Facebook on 10 July 2026 that appeared to show Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani promoting online investments. Believing them genuine, he clicked a link, paid Rs 22,000, and was then called from UK (+44) numbers by people claiming to represent a company called 'One Two Markets', who opened a forex account in his name. Between 10 and 22 July he transferred about Rs 7.6 lakh in several payments; when he tried to withdraw, the callers demanded more money. He went to the police and an FIR was registered on 19 September; a probe is under way. Deccan Herald calls the videos deepfakes; no technical examination of them is reported.","incidentDate":"2026-07-10","incidentEndDate":"2026-07-22","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-25","aiSystem":"Deepfake videos (tool unidentified) depicting public figures promoting an investment scheme on Facebook","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A Bengaluru man lost Rs 7.66 lakh to a forex investment scam he entered after deepfake Facebook videos of national leaders and business figures appeared to promote it (his FIR, as reported by Deccan Herald and Mangalore Today).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the 39-year-old complainant (Deccan Herald; Mangalore Today).","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN-KA","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/bengaluru-man-falls-for-pm-modi-anant-ambani-deepfakes-loses-over-rs-7-lakh-4160183","primarySourceLabel":"Deccan Herald (DHNS), 25 September 2026: Bengaluru man falls for PM Modi, Anant Ambani deepfakes, loses over Rs 7 lakh","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-27T03:39:41.752411+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:27.815383+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","investment-scam","forex","facebook","celebrity-impersonation","financial-fraud","india","karnataka","bengaluru"]},{"id":"2026-guildford-pensioner-deepfake-farage-investment-scam-40k","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The seemingly AI generated clip showed the irate Reform leader challenging Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey in front of a fake'; 'A Surrey pensioner has revealed how he lost £40,000 to an investment scam that used a deepfake video of Nigel Farage.'; 'Viewers were then directed to a supposed news article that promised huge returns for minimal investments.'; 'This deepfake video of Nigel Farage and Andrew Bailey has been shown millions of times to social media users.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The scam used an apparently AI-generated deepfake video of Nigel Farage challenging Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey in front of a fake BBC Question Time backdrop, directing viewers to a supposed news article promising huge returns for minimal investments; his solicitors say the video was shown millions of times to social-media users.","causal_attribution":"Surrey Live, on the account of the victim and his solicitors; the outlet calls the clip seemingly AI generated."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'he had initially invested just £400 on the crude oil markets with GBP Markets, but within a few weeks he had lost £40,000.'; 'even borrowing money from his daughter when his own accessible funds ran out.'; 'When he twice asked to withdraw some money to recover his investment, he was ignored.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"He first invested 400 pounds on crude-oil markets with GBP Markets and within a few weeks had lost 40,000 pounds, including money borrowed from his daughter, after a daily 'success manager' pressured him to top up when his displayed balance fell; two withdrawal requests were ignored, and he realised it was a scam only when his daughter sent him an article about fake BBC scams.","causal_attribution":"The victim's account to his solicitors and the outlet."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The pensioner is now working with solicitors from Richardson Hartley Law'; 'It hurts terribly.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"He is working with Richardson Hartley Law to recover the money from his banks and says the scam hurts terribly and he hopes to get his money back.","causal_attribution":"The victim and his solicitors as quoted."}],"effects":[{"label":"lost 40,000 pounds, some borrowed from his daughter, to a fake trading platform promoted by a deepfake video of a politician; describes being bullied into further deposits and lasting hurt","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-pensioner-loses-40k-deepfake-34655025","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-23 through the r.jina.ai reader proxy (the live page returned a 202 challenge shell); Surrey Live, Victoria Shipp, published 22 September 2026 13:45 UTC. Quotes the victim and Richardson Hartley Law.","independence_group":"surrey-live"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["When the payments were made (within a few weeks; the article gives no dates).","Who made the deepfake video and on which platforms it ran.","Whether the police or the Financial Conduct Authority are involved and whether any money is recovered.","How the deepfake was verified as AI-generated.","How much of the 40,000 pounds was his own money and how much was borrowed from his daughter (the article gives no split), and whether the 'success manager' was a person."],"geography":{"basis":"The victim is described as a Guildford, Surrey resident (Surrey Live); the article does not state where the video was viewed or the payments made; the scam operators' location is unknown. No court proceeding.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["GB"],"affected_person_countries":["GB"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an everyday financial adverse experience: an elderly man lost 40,000 pounds to a scam platform advertised with a deepfake video of a politician, told in his own words and his solicitors' to one outlet (single chain, all claims reported; AI involvement as reported). He is anonymous by choice.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-23"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Surrey Live describes the Farage clip as seemingly AI generated and a deepfake, on the account of the victim's solicitors; no forensic confirmation is reported. The relation is recorded as unknown: the AI impersonated third parties (public figures) to lure him rather than depicting, addressing or acting for him.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["unknown"]},"name":"Guildford: a 72-year-old grandfather lost 40,000 pounds to an investment scam that drew him in with an apparently AI-generated video of Nigel Farage challenging the Bank of England governor on a fake BBC Question Time set; after an initial 400-pound stake a daily 'success manager' pressured him to keep topping up, his withdrawal requests were ignored and he borrowed from his daughter, who later sent him an article about fake BBC scams","summary":"Surrey Live reported on 22 September 2026 that a 72-year-old Guildford pensioner, who asked to remain anonymous, lost 40,000 pounds to an investment scam that used a deepfake video of Nigel Farage. The apparently AI-generated clip showed the Reform UK leader angrily challenging Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey in front of a fake BBC Question Time backdrop, and viewers were directed to a supposed news article promising large returns for small investments. Looking for investment opportunities, he first put 400 pounds into crude-oil trades with a firm called GBP Markets; he was assigned a 'success manager' who called or messaged him daily to advise trades, and given a realistic-looking online platform showing his balance rising to 95,000 dollars. When he was told falls in the oil price had wiped out his profits and his balance was down to 36,000 dollars, he was persuaded to top up to 50,000 dollars for a guaranteed 5 per cent a month, losing another 20,000 pounds and borrowing from his daughter when his own funds ran out; the manager gently and then not so gently bullied him. Two requests to withdraw money were ignored. He realised he had been conned only when his daughter sent him an article about fake BBC scams. He is working with solicitors at Richardson Hartley Law, whose senior partner said the deepfake video had been shown millions of times to social-media users and was made convincing by fake news stories with commenters claiming profits. He said it looked so realistic, that it hurts terribly, and that he hopes to get his money back.","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-22","aiSystem":"AI-generated ('deepfake') video impersonating Nigel Farage and Andrew Bailey; described by the outlet as seemingly AI generated; tools not identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A 72-year-old lost 40,000 pounds, including money borrowed from his daughter, to a fake trading platform promoted by a deepfake video of a politician; he describes being bullied into further deposits, being gutted and hurting terribly. His own account and his solicitors', as reported by one outlet.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One victim, the anonymous Guildford pensioner (Surrey Live). Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"elderly","jurisdiction":"GB","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-pensioner-loses-40k-deepfake-34655025","primarySourceLabel":"Surrey Live, 22 September 2026: Guildford pensioner loses 40k to deepfake clip of Nigel Farage that plastered social media","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-23T03:46:04.705192+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:38.928792+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","investment-scam","united-kingdom","surrey","guildford","elderly","financial-loss","social-media","fake-bbc"]}]}