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Zelle

Zelle has been named in 1 documented digital harm incident. The most common harm domain is Fraud & Financial.

Incidents

Fatalities

Minors involved

$0.1M

Financial harm

Documented Incidents

Feb 6, 2026·Los Angeles, California, USA

Los Angeles woman loses $81,000 and home in AI deepfake romance scam

In Los Angeles, California, a woman identified as Abigail was targeted by a deep‑fake romance scam that began on Facebook and continued on WhatsApp. Scammers used AI‑generated video and voice to impersonate actor Steve Burton, persuading her to send gift cards, cash and cryptocurrency totaling $81,000. They then pressured her to sell her condominium at a steep discount to a wholesale real‑estate company, causing her to lose the equity and her home. The LAPD recorded the losses, but the funds were not recovered, and the family pursued a civil lawsuit to contest the sale.

Fraud & Financial

Linked Legislation

H 3038 — Intentionally Impersonating Another Person Through Email, Social Media Or Other Internet Websites

South Carolina

By Harm Domain

Fraud & Financial1