The family of a missing man from Western Australia has fallen prey to scammers who utilized an AI-generated image and a menacing message in an attempt to extort money from them.
Rakoia Battensoli, who is on the autism spectrum, has since been located safe and sound in Perth after being reported missing for nearly two weeks. His mother, Montina Delamere, had made a public appeal on social media for assistance in finding her son.
Shortly after her post, Ms. Delamere and Rakoia’s father received a threatening AI-generated image of their son alongside a message demanding $6,000 within a day, warning, “You gonna wire us $6,000 within 24 hrs or we cut off his neck and sell his body parts.”
Fortunately, the 23-year-old was found unharmed in Perth, situated approximately 168 kilometers from his home in Bunbury.
Residing in New South Wales, Ms. Delamere expressed disbelief at the lengths to which scammers would go to target families of the missing. “How could you do this to anybody?” she remarked. “I was worried for my baby, but I had a feeling he was OK. But there are people out there that would be in turmoil and they would probably send people like that the money.”
Scamwatch reports that 61,400 scams have been documented in Australia this year alone, resulting in losses exceeding $94.5 million for citizens.
According to cognitive psychologist James Dunn from the University of New South Wales, the rise of AI technology has significantly lowered the barriers for online scammers. “There are criminal organizations both domestically and internationally engaging in scamming,” he noted. “AI allows these scammers to create highly personalized attacks, making it easier to target individuals.” He emphasized that this has turned scamming into a lucrative business for many.
Dr. Dunn highlighted that the ability to manipulate personal data and images is transforming the online scamming environment. “Previously, scams were more generic, like the infamous Nigerian Prince schemes,” he explained. “Now, scammers can gather information from social media and use AI to generate customized messages that instill fear.”
Kristi McVee, a retired detective from Bunbury and an expert in e-safety, acknowledged the alarming trend of scammers preying on vulnerable individuals. “This is a massive issue,” she stated, noting that the mother in this case was already suffering due to her son’s disappearance and then became a victim of extortion. “It’s just terrifying — that’s horrendous.”
Ms. McVee stressed the importance of a cooperative effort to combat this growing threat, stating, “As AI technology improves, scammers will become increasingly sophisticated. It will require collaboration between companies and app developers to address these challenges.”
A representative from WA Police urged the public to remain vigilant against the tactics employed by scammers, warning that AI-generated content can appear convincingly authentic. “People should not automatically assume such material is genuine,” they cautioned. “Scammers use AI-generated images and messages to coerce victims into providing money, personal information, or access to their accounts and devices.”
