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Elderly Dad Falls For Deepfake Scam, Son Fears The Worst After He Divorces Wife And Sells Home
It’s not uncommon to have a celebrity crush, whether it’s a beloved TV star or a world-famous model. For many of us, these feelings are harmless admiration, but the dream of meeting or even dating a celebrity usually stays just that: a dream.
However, one son shared his concern about his 71-year-old father, who has fallen for a scammer posing as Jennifer Aniston online. The dad, convinced the relationship is genuine, claims to have video-called “Jennifer” despite glaring red flags. His family, warning him about the dangers, is left struggling to protect him from falling victim to the scam.
Keep reading to learn how scammers exploit trust and emotion and the lengths families must go to protect their loved ones.
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Elderly individuals may not always be tech-savvy, which can leave them particularly vulnerable to online fraud
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
A man shared his difficulty in convincing his elderly father that his “relationship” with a fake Jennifer Aniston is actually an elaborate scam
Image credits: Warner Bros. TV / NBC (not the actual photo)
Concerned for his dad, the author even considered reaching out to the real Jennifer Aniston to expose the fraud
Image credits: cdubbz111
As scams become more elaborate with the help of AI, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for elderly individuals to spot the difference between genuine and fraudulent messages
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Artificial intelligence has brought us countless perks. From drafting work emails in seconds to automating routine tasks, it’s saving time and reducing stress. But like every shiny coin, there’s another side to it, too.
Unfortunately, scammers have gotten smarter with AI, using it to make their schemes more convincing and harder to detect. Their creativity now works against us, and staying vigilant has never been more important.
Think about the phishing emails that look shockingly real like they’re straight from your bff or a trusted business. Or those endless spam calls that somehow know your name or mention your bank. It’s not just annoying anymore; it’s unsettling.
While some scams are still laughably obvious, others have become alarmingly sophisticated with AI in the mix. It’s especially concerning for older adults, who might not be as tech-savvy and are more likely to fall for these sneaky tactics.
But seniors can avoid such scams by watching for certain red flags. If an email or message demands personal information and secrecy, or if someone offers you a deal that feels too good to be true, pause and think twice.
Scammers often create a sense of urgency, pressuring their targets to act quickly before they can recognize the scam
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Scammers often add urgency to their ploys, pressuring you to act immediately. They might say things like your account will be shut down or threaten you with legal trouble if you don’t wire money, buy gift cards, or send payments through apps. These tactics often prey on panic, so it’s important that you stay calm.
Another red flag is when scammers give precise instructions about transferring money, even insisting you stay on the phone during the entire process. If anything feels off, it probably is. It’s crucial to verify before taking any action.
You can help protect the elders in your household by turning technology into a shield against scams and threats. Enable spam filters on their email accounts to weed out phishing attempts. Register their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce unwanted calls.
Also, encourage the use of secure and trusted platforms for online communication. Regularly having open discussions about potential scams and how to spot them can empower them to stay informed and alert. These proactive steps can make a big difference in keeping them safe.
In this case, the man believed he was dating Jennifer Aniston after falling for an elaborate scam. While it might sound amusing at first, it highlights how convincing these scams can be.
The author turned to online forums for advice and is exploring new ways to protect his dad from future fraud. If this hits close to home, open up conversations and share resources; it could make all the difference.
People online sympathized with the author’s situation, offering various suggestions on how to help his dad avoid being scammed
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What do you think ?
Nimitz 1 year ago
Chances are the scammer tries to "teach" him how to invest in a crypto website. The scam is he never sends "her" any money, he just downloads an app that looks legit. It looks like he makes money for a while, then when he tries to withdraw his earnings, boom, there is no money and no customer support. Usually they can lead people on for months making them think they're earning money in trades, but really the cash was gone the instant it left their account
Mike F 1 year ago
I worked with a guy who was nearly caught up in this kind of thing. He was CONVINCED that he was texting with Jessica Alba. This poor ba$tard was a single dad to a son with autism and didn't have 2 nickels to rub together. He could not be talked into seeing that he was being catfished. He came in one day still carrying on about this budding "thing" between them until another driver asked him how he was so sure that he was actually talking to her. He just felt like it was her. The other driver told him to ask her what she was wearing that day, then ask for a photo of her her right then. The guy was heartbroken, he was so certain that a celebrity was into him. Those ba$tards play on folks like that who are very often desperate.
Load More Replies...
Apatheist Account2 1 year ago
Those who voted "Respect his father's decisions" are heading for their own disasters.
Ash 1 year ago (edited)
The problem is that sometimes you can't fix other people's crazy. This is something I've had to learn lately for the sake of my own mental health. I will lead a horse to water, but after that, I cannot take all my energy freaking out while the horse refuses to drink. To use another metaphor, if the plane is going down, I should put on my own oxygen mask, but if the person next to me absolutely refuses to allow me to put theirs on them, in the end I have to stop fighting them. It isn't going to do any good, and all it's going to do is exhaust and hurt me. There are times when the only option is to allow them to destroy their own life. --That being said, I think he DOES have a few more options he can try first, like sending his dad that youtube episode about deep-fake Jennifer Anistons.
Load More Replies... Rosie 1 year ago
There's a Youtube channel called Social Catfish. It's all about delusional people in romance scams. Jennifer Aniston come up a lot.
Hodge Elmwood 1 year ago (edited)
Dr Phil (I know, I know) used to have people like this on his show. No matter how much evidence he showed them proving they were being scammed, they wouldn't believe it. One man, a doctor, believed a young woman he "met" online was going to send him a trunk full of "treasure" - including cash, as soon as he'd paid all the "fees" that were necessary. Then there was the woman who believed she was "dating" Tyler Perry and he'd fathered her daughter, even though she admitted she'd never met him in person. "Tyler knows," was her reply to everything when questioned how that could happen. You cannot convince these people they are being scammed.
Sergio Bicerra 1 year ago
I saw in dr Pill a woman who gave her 'boyfriend' all her savings and retirement, nearly 1 mil, and the show even faced her with the man whose photos were stolen to impersonate this guy, and she still didn't believe it.
Load More Replies... MaxMi 1 year ago (edited)
No way a scam holds up that long without seeing a penny coming in, so let’s face it, he already sent money to whatever the reason was. Also, if his health is somewhat already compromised, Id watch out for worst conseguences after he’ll find out it wasn’t JA. Id work on the side they’re just money and organize him a way to live with that.
Mr.Mister 1 year ago
My old man once showed up at my place and asked me for xxxx€. I asked him whathe needs that money for, and he revealed a whole scam story. Was ongoinf for 3 weeks. I just wrote that stupid b!tch to leave my father in peace and reported the number and account to the police. And another case was, my mom showed up unexpected and with a large sum of money, cause she thought I asked her about it. When she showed me that WA chat, I told her it was a scam. Whew its a good thing, that my mom don't know how onlinebanking works....
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
It's so great that you were able to help your parents out. I had something similar happen with my friend (mid 70s) where he got an email from a "friend" saying that his granddaughter's birthday was coming up and he really needed to buy her a gift and could my friend go to the store and get him some Google Play cards.... My friend didn't even know what a Google Play card was so he asked me if I could help him because he didn't know where to get them. I asked a few questions and then said you know, I don't think this is real. I think you better contact your friend... He wasn't going to because they live in the same city and he was just going to buy them and drop them off to the guy (when the online scammer I told him to get the Google Play cards, he said just to email him the numbers, my friend thought oh no I'll just drop them off at his house... Anyway, good resolution to my story too, he didn't get ripped off and we both got introduced to our first online scam in real life
Load More Replies...
Na Schi 1 year ago
Not a celebrity-scam but I cautiously warned my elderly mother time and time again about various scams - like "Mum, I've got a new number, please save it in WhatsApp" or "This is the police, your child has caused a severe accident and you have to pay several K to bail them out" or "This is the police calling, we've caught a burglar and your home was on his list. Please, secretly, hand over all your money and valuables to that undercover detective we will send to you for keeping them safe"! Anyway, how much I've warned here, one day she called and asked me how to add that new number to WhatsApp. Only after requiring which number, she told me "Jeez, your number, I thought you'd been aware of it, as you've send me the message!". Calling her out and pointing to that scam (keeping in mind how she always tasted about people on TV who fell for some scam), made her shut up and realize... but it got followed by willingly typing in her address for some postal-service upgrade.
Na Schi 1 year ago
Old people obviously are easy pray. Luckily, when it would come to the worst, I would be able to turn of my mother's internet/smartphone.
Load More Replies... 
Tucker Cahooter 1 year ago
You can't argue logic with these deluded people any more than you can argue logic with the people who believe the earth is flat.
Nimitz 1 year ago
Chances are the scammer tries to "teach" him how to invest in a crypto website. The scam is he never sends "her" any money, he just downloads an app that looks legit. It looks like he makes money for a while, then when he tries to withdraw his earnings, boom, there is no money and no customer support. Usually they can lead people on for months making them think they're earning money in trades, but really the cash was gone the instant it left their account
Mike F 1 year ago
I worked with a guy who was nearly caught up in this kind of thing. He was CONVINCED that he was texting with Jessica Alba. This poor ba$tard was a single dad to a son with autism and didn't have 2 nickels to rub together. He could not be talked into seeing that he was being catfished. He came in one day still carrying on about this budding "thing" between them until another driver asked him how he was so sure that he was actually talking to her. He just felt like it was her. The other driver told him to ask her what she was wearing that day, then ask for a photo of her her right then. The guy was heartbroken, he was so certain that a celebrity was into him. Those ba$tards play on folks like that who are very often desperate.
Load More Replies... Apatheist Account2 1 year ago
Those who voted "Respect his father's decisions" are heading for their own disasters.
Ash 1 year ago (edited)
The problem is that sometimes you can't fix other people's crazy. This is something I've had to learn lately for the sake of my own mental health. I will lead a horse to water, but after that, I cannot take all my energy freaking out while the horse refuses to drink. To use another metaphor, if the plane is going down, I should put on my own oxygen mask, but if the person next to me absolutely refuses to allow me to put theirs on them, in the end I have to stop fighting them. It isn't going to do any good, and all it's going to do is exhaust and hurt me. There are times when the only option is to allow them to destroy their own life. --That being said, I think he DOES have a few more options he can try first, like sending his dad that youtube episode about deep-fake Jennifer Anistons.
Load More Replies... Rosie 1 year ago
There's a Youtube channel called Social Catfish. It's all about delusional people in romance scams. Jennifer Aniston come up a lot.
Hodge Elmwood 1 year ago (edited)
Dr Phil (I know, I know) used to have people like this on his show. No matter how much evidence he showed them proving they were being scammed, they wouldn't believe it. One man, a doctor, believed a young woman he "met" online was going to send him a trunk full of "treasure" - including cash, as soon as he'd paid all the "fees" that were necessary. Then there was the woman who believed she was "dating" Tyler Perry and he'd fathered her daughter, even though she admitted she'd never met him in person. "Tyler knows," was her reply to everything when questioned how that could happen. You cannot convince these people they are being scammed.
Sergio Bicerra 1 year ago
I saw in dr Pill a woman who gave her 'boyfriend' all her savings and retirement, nearly 1 mil, and the show even faced her with the man whose photos were stolen to impersonate this guy, and she still didn't believe it.
Load More Replies... MaxMi 1 year ago (edited)
No way a scam holds up that long without seeing a penny coming in, so let’s face it, he already sent money to whatever the reason was. Also, if his health is somewhat already compromised, Id watch out for worst conseguences after he’ll find out it wasn’t JA. Id work on the side they’re just money and organize him a way to live with that.
Mr.Mister 1 year ago
My old man once showed up at my place and asked me for xxxx€. I asked him whathe needs that money for, and he revealed a whole scam story. Was ongoinf for 3 weeks. I just wrote that stupid b!tch to leave my father in peace and reported the number and account to the police. And another case was, my mom showed up unexpected and with a large sum of money, cause she thought I asked her about it. When she showed me that WA chat, I told her it was a scam. Whew its a good thing, that my mom don't know how onlinebanking works....
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
It's so great that you were able to help your parents out. I had something similar happen with my friend (mid 70s) where he got an email from a "friend" saying that his granddaughter's birthday was coming up and he really needed to buy her a gift and could my friend go to the store and get him some Google Play cards.... My friend didn't even know what a Google Play card was so he asked me if I could help him because he didn't know where to get them. I asked a few questions and then said you know, I don't think this is real. I think you better contact your friend... He wasn't going to because they live in the same city and he was just going to buy them and drop them off to the guy (when the online scammer I told him to get the Google Play cards, he said just to email him the numbers, my friend thought oh no I'll just drop them off at his house... Anyway, good resolution to my story too, he didn't get ripped off and we both got introduced to our first online scam in real life
Load More Replies... Na Schi 1 year ago
Not a celebrity-scam but I cautiously warned my elderly mother time and time again about various scams - like "Mum, I've got a new number, please save it in WhatsApp" or "This is the police, your child has caused a severe accident and you have to pay several K to bail them out" or "This is the police calling, we've caught a burglar and your home was on his list. Please, secretly, hand over all your money and valuables to that undercover detective we will send to you for keeping them safe"! Anyway, how much I've warned here, one day she called and asked me how to add that new number to WhatsApp. Only after requiring which number, she told me "Jeez, your number, I thought you'd been aware of it, as you've send me the message!". Calling her out and pointing to that scam (keeping in mind how she always tasted about people on TV who fell for some scam), made her shut up and realize... but it got followed by willingly typing in her address for some postal-service upgrade.
Na Schi 1 year ago
Old people obviously are easy pray. Luckily, when it would come to the worst, I would be able to turn of my mother's internet/smartphone.
Load More Replies... Tucker Cahooter 1 year ago
You can't argue logic with these deluded people any more than you can argue logic with the people who believe the earth is flat.
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