A woman from Los Angeles, identified as Abigail, lost nearly $100,000 in a sophisticated scam involving an artificial intelligence (AI) impersonation of Steve Burton, the actor known for his role as Jason Morgan on the soap opera General Hospital. The scam began in October 2022, when Abigail connected with the impersonator on Facebook Messenger. Their online interactions quickly escalated into what Abigail believed to be a romantic relationship.
The scammer built trust by sending Abigail AI-generated videos featuring a realistic likeness of Burton. After moving their conversations to WhatsApp, the impersonator claimed to be deeply in love with her and expressed a desire to spend their lives together. Abigail, who struggles with Bipolar 1 Disorder, became convinced that their relationship was genuine. One message reportedly stated, “‘Steve Burton and Abigail Burton’ sounds like a dream come true.”
The situation intensified when the impersonator fabricated a story about losing his home in the devastating L.A. Fires. According to a police report, Abigail sent at least $81,304 in cash, gift cards, and Bitcoin to the scammer, believing he would use the funds to buy a home for them. This financial strain resulted in her bankruptcy, which she now faces as a reality.
The extent of the deception became even clearer when Abigail decided to sell her condo for $350,000. Just as she was about to send the proceeds to the impersonator, her daughter, Vivian Ruvalcaba, intervened. Vivian took the videos received by her mother to ABC 7 News, where experts investigated their authenticity. Their findings confirmed that the videos were indeed generated by AI.
In a follow-up investigation, ABC 7 News reached out to the real Steve Burton, who acknowledged awareness of similar scams that exploit his identity to deceive fans. Recognizing the potential for harm, Abigail’s family decided to go public with their story to raise awareness about these prevalent cyber scams. They have also filed a lawsuit related to the sale of the condo, seeking justice for the financial and emotional toll the scam has taken on their lives.
As online scams continue to evolve, the case of Abigail underscores the urgent need for vigilance in digital interactions. With technology becoming an increasingly powerful tool for deception, individuals should remain cautious and verify the identities of those they engage with online.