{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-09-30T07:15:27.009Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"scam","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"unknown","evidence":"","year":"","response":"regulatory","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":2,"coverage":{"cases":2,"countries":2,"languages":1,"unknownLocation":0,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":0,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":2,"minors":0,"coreRelations":0,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":2,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":2},"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-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"]}]}