A woman has shared her experience of losing her life savings after falling victim to scammers who used artificial intelligence to impersonate a star from General Hospital.
Vivian Ruvalcaba recounted how her mother, Abigail, was deceived by someone pretending to be Steve Burton, a longtime actor on the show. In an interview with 7 On Your Side Investigates, Ruvalcaba expressed her distress over the situation.
“I’m sickened by it because it went this far,” she stated. “Why didn’t I know this? Why didn’t I see what was happening? What did I miss?”
Experts consulted by the outlet indicated that a video sent by the scammer was likely created using AI technology to mimic Burton’s likeness.
In the video, the AI-generated figure stated: “Hello, Abigail. I love you so much, darling. I had to make this video to make you happy, my love.”
The deception began in October of the previous year when Abigail started receiving videos on Facebook from someone she believed to be Burton.
The interaction eventually shifted to WhatsApp, where the impersonator sent messages, including: “I want to live the rest of my life with you.”
As well as another message: “‘Steve Burton and Abigail Burton’ sounds like a dream come true.”
Ruvalcaba noted that her mother has battled mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, for many years.
“In her head, there was no scammer,” Ruvalcaba explained. “She was talking to Steve Burton the entire time.”
After numerous exchanges, the scammer convinced Abigail to send at least $81,304 through gift cards, cash, and bitcoin, claiming it was for a future home purchase together.
“Now she’s in complete debt, and now she’s going to have to file for bankruptcy,” Ruvalcaba disclosed.
The situation worsened when the scammer persuaded Abigail to sell her condo in Harbor City for $350,000.
“If selling the place is what will give us a fresh start and bring us closer to where we both want to be, then I am behind you,” the scammer assured.
Ruvalcaba stepped in to prevent her mother from transferring an additional $70,000 to the scammer.
Addressing the situation, the real Steve Burton noted that he has heard of similar scams.
“That I know of who have lost money, it’s in the hundreds. It’s in the hundreds,” he commented.
“First of all, I don’t need your money. I would never ask for money.
“I see people come to my appearances and look at me like they’ve had a relationship online for a couple of years, and I’m like, ‘No, I’m sorry. I don’t know who you are,’ and you just see, It’s so sad, you see the devastation.”
In response, Abigail and Ruvalcaba have initiated legal action to reverse the condo sale and have set up a GoFundMe to cover legal expenses, which you can visit here.