Elderly woman in Charlotte loses $600,000 to AI-powered romance scam impersonating Elon Musk

Summary

An elderly woman in Charlotte, North Carolina, lost over $600,000 in savings after falling victim to an AI-powered romance scam. The scammer used artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of Elon Musk, leading her to believe she was in a romantic relationship with him. The scam involved wire transfers, including at least one exceeding $100,000, followed by daily ATM withdrawals totaling $3,000, much of which was spent on gift cards for the scammers. The victim’s daughter discovered the scam after finding messages on her mother’s phone that appeared to be from Musk. The Better Business Bureau warned that romance scams often use emotional connections to exploit victims financially. Despite reporting the scam, the victim is unlikely to recover the stolen funds.