Overview

• A police report says the victim sent at least $81,304 through gift cards, cash and bitcoin after receiving AI-generated videos posing as Steve Burton.
• The scammer claimed the actor had lost property in Los Angeles wildfires and sent romantic messages to build trust.
• The woman sold her condo for $350,000, and her daughter intervened before an additional $70,000 was sent from the proceeds.
• Steve Burton publicly warned fans he would never ask for money and said he has encountered many impersonation scams.
• Reporters note a broader rise in AI-enabled celebrity cons, citing a recent French case involving a Brad Pitt impostor.