Deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI-generated identities fuel surge in romance scams

Rob Woods, Senior Director of Fraud and Identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, explains how deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI-generated identities are fuelling a surge in emotionally manipulative financial fraud across the Middle East.

Romance fraud has shifted from sporadic online deception to a sophisticated, organised financial crime affecting individuals and institutions across the Middle East. Criminal networks now operate with alarming precision, exploiting emotion, technology, and trust to orchestrate scams that can cause lasting financial and psychological harm.

Advances in artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and voice cloning have significantly elevated the scale and credibility of these schemes. Fraudsters are no longer limited to stolen photographs or fabricated backstories. Highly realistic identity documents, AI-generated images, live video interactions and convincing social media profiles enable scammers to construct persuasive narratives that are increasingly difficult to detect. The result is a more immersive and manipulative experience for victims — one designed to build trust before exploiting it.

Beyond financial loss, romance scams inflict deep emotional trauma. Victims are often groomed into secrecy, discouraged from sharing details of the relationship, and manipulated through urgent appeals for money under fabricated crises. Shame, embarrassment and psychological coercion frequently prevent reporting, allowing organised networks to continue operating unchecked.

Rob Woods, Senior Director of Fraud and Identity, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, spoke to  Tahawultech.com on how romance scams have evolved, the role emerging technologies play in accelerating the threat, the warning signs individuals must recognise, and the immediate steps to take when suspicion arises.

Interview excerpts:

How have romance scams evolved from isolated online cons into a large-scale, organised financial crime across the Middle East?
The abundant availability of AI and deepfake technology is certainly adding fuel to the fire of scams. Romance scams rely on the scammer weaving intricate stories which, more now than ever before, can be backed up with highly realistic content, such as identity documents, photos, recorded videos, live video chats and social posts generated by AI to help convince the target they are genuine. 

What role are AI / deepfakes / voice cloning playing in making romance scams more convincing and harder to detect?
AI is certainly being harnessed to create convincing and realistic content for a host of scams, and that includes romance fraud. With romance scams, once the target has been groomed for a time, the fraudster will invent reasons why they urgently need cash, for example, to pay for a sick relative’s operation or pay a court fine to avoid prison. Bad actors use AI to generate fake documents or photos to add credibility to these stories and convince the target.

“In the past, romance scammers relied on random photos and information scraped from the internet; now they have far more sophisticated tools at their disposal.” 

Which red flags should people never ignore when forming relationships online, even if the interaction feels genuine?
One key tell-tale signal that scammers employ is insisting on secrecy, urging the victim not to discuss their relationship with others. This is an important tactic and enables the fraudster to retain control of the scam and influence over the target. Our advice to anyone asked to keep an online relationship secret is to confide in a trusted friend or family member, even if you don’t think it’s a scam, because, if it is, it’s the best way to break the spell. Another common tactic is that the scammer will initially lavish expensive gifts on the target to lull them into a false sense of security. This is simply a tactical investment on the scammer’s part as they know it will pay dividends later on.    

Why do many victims suffer in silence after falling prey to romance scams, and what psychological impact does this type of fraud have beyond financial loss?
Romance fraud is unique in that it may only go on for a few weeks or months, but the emotional impact of the deception can last a lifetime. It’s such a pernicious crime because it preys on people’s determination to believe that the romance is real and ignore the obvious warning signs.  Shame and embarrassment play a big part in the lack of reporting but it’s also to do with tactics, as romance scammers tend to encourage targets to be secretive and conceal what’s happening from others. They do this to retain control of the scam and influence over the target because generally, if the target tells someone else what’s going on, that person quickly points out the risks. 

If someone suspects they are being targeted or has already been scammed, what immediate steps should they take to protect themselves and others?
The best advice is really to confide in someone you trust. Even if you don’t think it’s a scam, another person’s perspective can’t do any harm. Look for the warning signs, especially if you’re being asked to keep the relationship a secret and especially if they start telling you stories about urgently needing money, whether in the form of cash, gift cards or rewards points. These are clear flags that something is amiss.