SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) — A Springfield, Ohio, man says he lost money through an apparent that utilized AI, making him think he was getting prizes from country music star, Jelly Roll.
As artificial intelligence advances, some are using the technology to impersonate celebrities, sometimes to convince people to hand over money. Ronnie Flint said he fell victim to one such incident, and is now sharing his story to warn others.
Flint spoke to Nexstar’s WDTN, saying he is shocked to see technology come so far and be used in a way to harm others.
“I really thought it was Jelly Roll,” Flint explained. He said he was going about his day when he got a message on Facebook that appeared to be from a celebrity that he happens to be a fan of. The message said he won $50,000 on a brand new car.
The real Jelly Roll is seen on the left below, while the AI version of Jelly Roll can be seen on the right, wearing a backward hat.
Then the account sent Flint a video of a man, who appears to be singer-songwriter Jelly Roll, asking him to cover shipping to get his prizes. Flint was not convinced, even after the page sent him what they say is Jelly Roll’s official driver’s license.
There are plenty of inaccurate features on that driver’s license, seen below. For example, the singer in question goes by Jelly Roll, not “Jolly roll.” Since that’s his stage name, it wouldn’t appear on his driver’s license either — his real name, Jason DeFord, would. It also appears to be a Permanent Resident Card, something Jelly Roll, a U.S. native, likely would not have. But if he did, “Nashville” wouldn’t appear on the card. In that place, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, would be his country of birth.
But then Flint received a second video, which he said surprised him.
“When they sent the second video where he actually said my full name, that got me,” said Flint. “I was like, wow, it really is Jelly Roll. He said my name.”
The account then asked him to send money through Apple gift cards. Flint sent them a total of $70, even though he’s on a fixed income.
“I even told him that I’m on disability. You know, this is all the money that I have for the rest of the month,” said Flint.
A family member warned Flint that this seemed like a scam, and he promptly stopped and filed a police report, but the messages for more money keep coming.
“They’re thinking I’m going to send them another $30 on the 3rd, which ain’t going to happen,” said Flint, who added that he wants to share his story in order to make sure no one has to go through what he did.
Multiple organizations, as well as police departments, say that if it’s too good to be true, it often is too good to be true. You should also always be wary if people ask you to pay with gift cards.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned against sending money to celebrities who contact them online.
“Imposter scams come in many varieties, but they all work the same way: a scammer pretends to be someone you trust to convince you to send them money. And that’s exactly what these celebrity imposters are trying to do,” the FTC said.
Earlier this year, an Illinois woman lost $62,000 to an account impersonating the actor Kevin Costner.
Nexstar’s Addy Bink contributed to this report.
