The AI scammer gained the victim’s trust by claiming that he, as billionaire Elon Musk, was doing “something great for the world” and declared: “I’m happy that my fans will become rich because of me.”
According to South Korean newspaper Chosun, the scammer created a social media account with the aim of becoming the billionaire businessman.
In an attempt to convince people that he was the real Elon Musk, the impersonator shared details about his family’s personal activities, saying things like “the kids go to SpaceX every weekend.”
The scammer also claimed to “frequently travel to Texas, where the Tesla factory is located, and to Florida, where SpaceX is headquartered, by private helicopter.”
Initially skeptical, the woman gradually became less cautious as the activities shared matched what was reported in the press.
The woman grew more trusting of the scammer through video calls. The victim confirmed that the man bore a striking resemblance to Musk.
The scammer also expressed his feelings for her: “Hello. I love you, do you know that?”
The scammer also claimed that he was happy that his fans were also becoming rich because of him, implying that investments would bring wealth.
To continue the scheme, the scammer provided his bank account details in South Korea.
Woman talks to fake billionaire via video call
A “Citizen of Mars” ID card and passport photo were also shared, showing Musk’s Mars ID number as 000000001 and his birthplace as Earth.
After being bombarded with information, the woman became convinced she was dealing with a real tech billionaire.
In August last year, she made several transfers to the designated account, totaling $50,000.
The South Korean national broadcaster attempted to contact the Musk impersonator by phone but received the reply: “It’s early morning in the US now.” The impersonator then suggested they communicate via text message.
To reassure the victim, a voice recording was sent saying, “I am Elon Musk, I hope this recording will put your mind at ease.”
However, experts have analyzed the recording and confirmed that it was generated by AI.
These types of scams are becoming increasingly common in China, so the story has attracted special attention from mainland netizens.
Elon Musk’s Mars ID Fake.
“He got a Mars ID? Does anyone really believe that?” one netizen asked.
“Do these people never watch the news or do they really think pie is falling from the sky?” another said.
A third said: “I also encountered the same thing on Xiaohongshu, we chatted and he was very charming, but then I reported him”
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