"I fell in love with a beautiful 29-year-old doctor" ... She turned out to be a 65-year-old cleaner who used AI to change her face

[Financial News] A 65-year-old Chinese woman allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to pose as a woman in her 20s who worked as a doctor. She then formed an online romantic relationship with a man and took 170,000 yuan (approximately 34 million won) from him, sparking controversy.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 21st, Liu Hui, a man living in Shanghai, met a woman named Yu Xiuzhen on a social media platform in 2021.
Yu introduced herself as a 29-year-old doctor working at a renowned hospital in Shanghai. She approached Liu, claiming that she could influence hospital facility construction projects. Liu, who works in the real estate business, believed that Yu could help him secure hospital construction contracts, and their relationship gradually became romantic.
However, the two never met in person, despite living in the same city. Yu repeatedly postponed meeting him, saying that her mother opposed the relationship. She also refused Liu's requests for video calls, giving reasons such as her mother being nearby.
At the same time, she demanded a dowry of 300,000 yuan for their marriage and imposed another condition: Liu had to purchase a home in Shanghai before they could meet. Liu reportedly transferred a total of 170,000 yuan to Yu over five months. He then reported her to the police after the promised construction contracts failed to materialize.
A police investigation found that Yu was actually 65 years old. Born in 1961, she held no medical license or other healthcare-related qualifications. Investigators confirmed that she had previously worked at a hospital in cleaning and support roles. Police determined that Yu had used AI technology to make herself appear as a young woman and created videos with composited backgrounds to portray herself as a doctor.
Yu ran social media accounts using the AI-generated persona and had approximately 10,000 followers after uploading nearly 7,000 videos depicting her daily life over more than five years. Her real mother had already died, but Yu was also found to have impersonated her deceased mother to reassure the victim.
During the investigation, police discovered that some of Yu's social media videos displayed a very small disclaimer stating that they contained "AI-generated content." However, Liu, who was unfamiliar with AI technology, failed to notice it.
Yu was also found to have a previous record of punishment for fraud. Investigators determined that she had used the money received from Liu for plastic surgery, skincare, and clothing purchases. Yu is currently facing criminal proceedings on suspicion of fraud, according to reports.
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter