A Los Angeles woman lost her life savings after scammers used AI-generated videos of General Hospital star Steve Burton to deceive her.
Abigail Ruvalcaba said she received multiple messages, including deepfake videos, that appeared to come from Burton, who has been on General Hospital since 1991.
“I thought I was in love,” Ruvalcaba told KTLA. “I thought we were going to have a good life together.”
According to KABC, the scam began on Facebook Messenger before moving to WhatsApp. Ruvalcaba said she initially sent more than $81,000, later selling her family’s condo and giving the scammer $350,000 from the sale.
Her daughter, Vivian, told outlets that Ruvalcaba has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and genuinely believed the impersonator, who claimed he needed money after his home was destroyed in a fire.
One of the messages Ruvalcaba received, reported by KABC, read:
“The beach house is something we will love, baby.”
KTLA reported that Ruvalcaba now faces losing her family home. Vivian said the family is suing in an effort to reverse the condo sale, which was quickly flipped to another owner, according to ABC.
“Now she’s in complete debt, and now she’s going to have to file for bankruptcy,” Vivian told KABC.
KABC also showed Burton one of the AI-generated videos sent to Ruvalcaba.
“Sounds like my voice for sure, 100%,” Burton told the outlet.
Burton, who plays Jason Morgan on General Hospital, had previously warned fans on social media about similar scams.
