Florida man says his wife ‘wants a divorce’ after he lost $45,000 on an AI-generated Elon Musk car scam
Man says wife wants divorce after he drained savings falling for AI scam
- George Hendricks, a 69-year-old Florida man, reportedly lost $45,000 to scammers impersonating Elon Musk.
- The scam began after Hendricks engaged with a Facebook group post advertising car giveaways, leading to subsequent communication via Facebook and WhatsApp.
- Scammers allegedly used an AI-generated deepfake video of Musk to convince Hendricks he had won a car and a cash prize, and later to build trust.
- Hendricks was instructed to pay $7,500 for car shipping and subsequently sent nearly $37,000 more, ultimately draining his accounts.
- The incident has caused significant personal distress for Hendricks, with his wife reportedly considering divorce, and underscores a rising trend of deepfake scams, particularly targeting retirees.