A woman in Greece named Nikoleta was tricked into sending money to scammers after being convinced she was speaking with the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who was in fact an artificial intelligence creation.
The scam began when Nikoleta was contacted by someone claiming to be the Portuguese superstar. The person told her he wanted to help her financially, as he said he did for people around the world, but that he needed a payment from her first to make the transaction legal.
How the scam unfolded
Nikoleta told local media that she said she was poor, but the man posing as Ronaldo insisted he still needed the money. Sensing that she was becoming suspicious, the scammer escalated his approach with a move that proved decisive: he sent her a video.
She said he called her on a video link and she saw him. She said it was Cristiano Ronaldo, sitting in a white luxury car, telling her he was helping people in need. Nikoleta was especially convinced because the person in the video spoke to her in Greek.
A video circulated online
The Greek news outlet in.gr shared the artificial intelligence video on social media, saying it was the one used by fraudsters to deceive a woman in Patras. The outlet said the video had been generated using artificial intelligence to show the well-known footballer in an attempt to make the scam appear convincing.
Money transferred, then silence
Convinced by what she had seen, Nikoleta made two transfers totalling 100 euros through a local electronic payment service. Once the money had gone through, she heard nothing more from the person posing as Ronaldo, who cut off all contact.
Nikoleta said she had been convinced and had paid the money, but it eventually turned out she was the victim of a scam.
Who is Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese forward regarded as one of the most successful footballers in history, having won multiple Ballon d'Or awards and European titles during a career spanning Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and, more recently, Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. His global fame and huge social media following make him a frequent target for impersonation scams.
AI deepfake scams on the rise
The case adds to a growing number of scams in which artificial intelligence is used to generate realistic video or audio of celebrities to make fraudulent schemes appear more believable. Fraudsters increasingly use such synthetic media to impersonate well-known public figures and gain the trust of victims before asking for money.
Related Ronaldo headlines
- Paolo Maldini's son, who tested positive and was involved in a car accident, had his driving licence revoked and was taken to hospital.
- A French coach lost his temper in Saudi Arabia and made an obscene gesture at the opposing bench before being sent off.
- Cristiano Ronaldo criticised his 18-year-old substitute goalkeeper for his performance, was himself substituted at half-time, and his team went on to win by scoring three goals.
- Ronaldo said this is probably his last year of his career and said he is considering retiring at the end of the season.
- Ronaldo surprised fans with a radical new look days after marrying Georgina Rodriguez.
- Behind the scenes of Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez's grand wedding ceremony near Lisbon, which involved a false trail and widespread speculation.
