'Jason Momoa' Cons Widow Out of £500k: British Granny Loses Everything to AI Deepfake 'Aquaman'

In a heart-wrenching tale of digital deception amid 2025's AI deepfake scam surge, a vulnerable British widow lost her life savings of £500,000 ($662k) to a fraudster posing as Hollywood star Jason Momoa, using hyper-realistic AI videos to fabricate a romance and Hawaiian dream home.

As deepfake celebrity impersonations explode—with Taylor Swift topping McAfee's most exploited list and global losses hitting $200 million (£151 million, $231 million) in Q1 alone—this case exposes the devastating rise of AI-powered romance scams targeting lonely hearts.

The Deceptive Romance: How AI Forged a Fake Love Story

The scam began innocently on a Jason Momoa fan page, where the widow—recently bereaved in Cambridgeshire—posted admiration for the Aquaman actor, known for Dune and the Minecraft Movie.

A reply, seemingly from Momoa himself, sparked private messages that blossomed into a whirlwind romance over months. The fraudster, using AI-generated videos of Momoa discussing their future, convinced her of his affection, even fabricating chats with his 15-year-old daughter.

To seal the illusion, the scammer claimed his millions were tied in film projects, requesting funds for urgent needs like a marriage certificate to secure their Hawaiian home amid a fake divorce battle. The widow, aged in her 60s and isolated post-loss, sold her home on 15 July 2025 and transferred the full £500,000 ($662k) via wire, believing it funded their paradise.

'I was gullible and paid it,' she told The Sun, her voice cracking over the betrayal. Messages ceased abruptly on 20 July 2025; the 'lover' vanished, leaving her homeless and shattered. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed: 'This might sound far-fetched but it's a true story and it left a vulnerable woman without a home.'

AI Deepfakes Unleashed: 2025's Celebrity Scam Epidemic

Deepfake technology, now creating a million fakes per minute, has supercharged celebrity impersonations, with scammers hijacking stars' likenesses for endorsements, giveaways, and cons. Taylor Swift leads McAfee's 2025 list, her image cloned for crypto scams and bogus tours, followed by Scarlett Johansson and Jenna Ortega.

90% of Indians face similar fakes, but British cases like a Newcastle granny losing £80,000 ($106k) to a Momoa clone underscore local peril. A French woman fell for a Brad Pitt deepfake in January 2025, wiring $850,000 (£642,000, $984k) over 18 months of AI videos and voices.

US victims include a Louisiana woman scammed £45,300 ($60,000) by fake Elon Musk videos on 24 January 2025, and an LA retiree drained by a General Hospital star impostor. Brazilian gangs netted millions via Gisele Bündchen deepfakes in Instagram ads by October 2025. Searches for 'free voice cloning software' surged 120% year-on-year, per Google Trends, enabling 95% of deepfakes via tools like DeepFaceLab.

Protecting Hearts and Wallets: Fighting Back Against Deepfake Fraud

Dave York, Cambridgeshire fraud prevention officer, warns: 'Scammers target those at their lowest ebb, looking to fill a gap in their lives.' With deepfake ID failures at 1 in 20 verifications and romance cons claiming 6.3% of frauds, experts urge vigilance: verify via official channels, never wire funds hastily, and seek second opinions.

Tools like McAfee's Scam Detector flag AI fakes in videos and texts, while Sumsub reports 180% sophisticated fraud growth. Report to Action Fraud or FTC; the widow now aids police tracing crypto trails. As AI evolves, education trumps tech alone—slow down, question urgency, and remember: real stars don't DM for cash.

Daily Mail's coverage sparked outrage, with @DailyMail's 29 November 2025 post garnering 5,871 views: 'British widow conned out of £500k by fake Jason Momoa...'