A growing wave of online romance scams is exploiting artificial intelligence to impersonate high-profile figures, notably Dubai’s Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed, known by his pen name Fazza. Victims, such as a Filipino domestic worker identified only as Maria, have been deceived by lifelike AI-generated video calls and manipulated into sending significant amounts of money.
Maria encountered the fraudster posing as the prince on a dating website before moving their conversations to a messaging app. The alleged prince maintained constant communication, sending romantic messages even during her sleep. Video calls showed a convincingly realistic image of the prince, with synchronized lip movements, though the voice did not match the real crown prince’s. Over the course of the scam, Maria was persuaded to pay approximately 100,000 Philippine pesos (HK$12,777) for fabricated documents described as a marriage certificate and a “royal membership card,” allegedly required for her to secure employment in Dubai.
Suspicion mounted when the supposed prince requested an additional 60,000 pesos for a hotel booking to facilitate their meeting. An investigation of his social media presence revealed the account was operated from Nigeria, prompting Maria to sever contact. She reflected on the emotional toll of the scheme and the financial loss equivalent to a year’s savings.
Researchers have traced such scams to organized criminal groups, particularly in Nigeria, and noted the sophisticated use of AI deepfake technology to create real-time, interactive video calls. These videos often feature manipulated images of the prince, including staged romantic gestures such as kneeling with a ring or offering a rose, shared within Facebook groups boasting thousands of followers. Although many users express skepticism in comments, others interact with romantic emojis, underlining the complexity of combating these deceitful networks.
The impersonators often appropriate the prince’s genuine social media content, including his poems and photos, leveraging his extensive online following, which exceeds 17 million on Instagram, to lend credibility. Scammer tactics reportedly include requesting funds through banks abroad or via cryptocurrencies, complicating efforts to trace transactions.
In response to the growing prevalence of these scams, awareness campaigns have emerged online. One Instagram-based group, “Do not fall for fake prince,” educates users about the risks, while a Change.org petition titled “Stop Fazza Scam” urges Sheikh Hamdan’s official team to enhance public warnings about fraudsters misusing Dubai phone numbers and falsified documents. Dubai authorities have not publicly addressed these concerns.
This phenomenon is not unique to Dubai’s crown prince. Similar schemes have targeted other celebrities, such as a 2023 case in France where fraudsters impersonated actor Brad Pitt to defraud a victim of €830,000 (HK$7.45 million). According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, consumers worldwide lost approximately US$442 billion to scams last year, with romance fraud constituting a significant portion.
Experts warn that advances in AI and motion-control technology will soon produce deepfake videos that are indistinguishable from reality, rendering it increasingly difficult to verify the authenticity of remote interactions. David Rand, a Cornell University researcher, noted the imminent challenge in identifying genuine conversations once these technologies further mature.