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Scammers used AI to create fake images of an injured dog to extort money from a Florida family whose pet had gone missing, demanding $2,800 for fake emergency surgery.
In March 2024, a Florida family's beagle mix named Archer escaped from their backyard in Deltona. After posting about the missing dog on social media, the family received a call from scammers claiming they had found Archer and that he had been hit by a vehicle requiring $2,800 for emergency surgery. The scammers used AI tools to manipulate photos the family had posted on social media, creating fake images showing Archer on an operating table with medical equipment. They also included a fake X-ray dated 2022 and demanded payment in CVS gift cards. The family became suspicious when they researched the veterinary clinic address provided and discovered it was actually city hall. They also noticed pattern differences in Archer's fur in the manipulated images. No money was ultimately sent. The real dog was later returned safely by a neighbor who had witnessed a woman taking the dog and was able to track her down. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident, which mirrors similar AI-enabled pet scams reported in St. Petersburg earlier in 2024.
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
