Telegram channels advertise “AI face model” jobs tied to romance scams

In short: Telegram channels are recruiting “AI face models” to help scammers run more believable romance fraud.

What's going on

Wired reports that some Telegram channels are posting job ads for “AI face models,” mostly aimed at women. These models are used in “pig butchering” scams, a type of long con where scammers build trust over time and then pressure someone to send money.

The “face model” may be a real person on camera, an AI-altered face, or a mix of both. The key job is to show up in photos and in live video and voice calls, so the scam feels real. It is like giving the scammer a convincing actor to play the role of a romantic partner.

Some ads promise pay of about $5,000 to $6,000 a month and have been linked to scam operations traced to Cambodia, according to the report. Wired describes one model, “Remina,” who allegedly helped scam a victim’s mother and later advertised for new contracts after a year-long term.

The report also describes offers aimed at solo scammers. Instead of working in large scam compounds, an individual can rent video and voice appearances through subscription-style services, in languages like English, Russian, and Turkish. The setup is marketed as simple, using two phones and a computer.

What to watch

Crackdowns and sanctions have pushed parts of this scam industry to break into smaller groups that are harder to track. For everyday people, the big change is that scams may rely less on stolen photos and more on real-time video calls, which can feel like solid proof but is not.

Source: Wired