“It was Cristiano Ronaldo speaking Greek”: AI scam targets woman from Patras

A woman from Patras believed Cristiano Ronaldo was speaking to her in Greek during a video call. The apparent encounter turned out to be an online scam using artificial intelligence.

The fraudster contacted the woman through social media and presented himself as the Portuguese football star. He claimed he wanted to offer her financial assistance as part of a charitable initiative.

To make the story convincing, the scammer used AI during the video call. A face resembling Ronaldo appeared on screen inside a luxurious white car, creating the impression that the call was genuine. The fact that the supposed footballer spoke Greek made the deception even more convincing.

The scammer then asked the woman to send €100 through the IRIS payment service, saying the transfer was necessary for the financial assistance to proceed. She sent the money in two €50 payments. Immediately after the transactions, the supposed Ronaldo disappeared and ended all communication. The woman then realized she had been the victim of electronic fraud.

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It was Cristiano Ronaldo and he was speaking Greek.