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Scammers used AI to create a fake image of a missing dog on an operating table to defraud a dog trainer out of $1,900 by impersonating police and veterinary staff.
A couple in St. Petersburg, Florida was targeted by scammers after their German Shepherd puppy Hazel went missing. Dennis Morida, who runs a non-profit called 'Always a Warrior K9' training dogs for veterans, had been training Hazel for only a few hours when she slipped through a fence hole. After posting about the missing dog on social media, Morida received a call around 11 PM from someone claiming to be a St. Petersburg Police sergeant. The caller claimed Hazel had been hit by a car and needed emergency surgery costing $1,900. The scammers sent an AI-generated image of a dog on an operating table, which Morida believes was created by altering photos he and his wife had posted on social media. Morida sent the money via Zelle, though it was initially flagged as suspicious. The next morning, Hazel returned home unharmed. When Morida called the veterinary hospital the scammers claimed to represent, they had no record of the incident, confirming it was a scam. Morida's wife's parents in Georgia also received a similar fraudulent call. Fortunately, Morida's bank flagged the transaction as fraud and he did not lose any money.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to gain a personal advantage over others such as through cheating, fraud, scams, blackmail or targeted manipulation of beliefs or behavior. Examples include AI-facilitated plagiarism for research or education, impersonating a trusted or fake individual for illegitimate financial benefit, or creating humiliating or sexual imagery.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
