Senior Loses $900,000 in Crypto Scam Using AI-Generated Deepfake of Mark Carney

An Ontario senior lost $900,000 to a cryptocurrency platform scam that used an AI-generated deepfake of former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney.

Judy Skene, 86, from Sault St. Marie, Ont., clicked on the link and invested after seeing a video ad promoting a crypto investment platform backed by the Bank of Canada for $350 Canadian. The platform claimed her initial investment had tripled in value, prompting her to invest everything she had, including taking out a mortgage on her condo.

In reality, Skene was defrauded of $900,000. Her money seemed to have almost doubled in the fake investment account, but it was all gone after she made the final payment.

A friend, Pat Probert, helped Skene during a distressing time and warned others about investment fraud. He also created a GoFundMe page to help her cover expenses.