SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) — A Springfield resident reports losing money in a scam that leveraged AI technology, making him believe he was receiving prizes from country music sensation, Jelly Roll.
As artificial intelligence continues to progress, some individuals exploit the technology to mimic celebrities, sometimes coaxing people into parting with their money. Ronnie Flint became a victim of such a scam and is now sharing his story to alert 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 genuinely thought it was Jelly Roll,” Flint recounted. He mentioned receiving a Facebook message, supposedly from a celebrity he admires. The message claimed he had won $50,000 and a 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.
The account then sent Flint a video featuring a man who resembled singer-songwriter Jelly Roll, requesting him to pay for shipping to claim his prizes. Flint remained skeptical, even after receiving what was purportedly Jelly Roll’s driver’s license from the page.
Numerous errors were evident on that driver’s license, as seen below. For instance, the artist is known as Jelly Roll, not “Jolly roll.” His stage name wouldn’t legally appear on a driver’s license—his birth name, Jason DeFord, would. Additionally, it appeared to be a Permanent Resident Card, which Jelly Roll, being a native U.S. citizen, would not need. Furthermore, “Nashville” is unlikely to be listed as a place of birth per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which would instead list the 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 convinced me,” Flint admitted. “I was like, wow, it must really be Jelly Roll. He mentioned 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.
