If you were a single woman looking for love and Kevin Costner was interested in you, what would you do? You'd bite, right? Who wouldn't? But first, you'd need to make sure you were actually speaking to the "Yellowstone" actor, lest you fall victim to a nefarious scam designed to bilk you out of money, time, and happiness.
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According to the Daily Mail, a woman known as "Rachel" (name changed to protect her privacy) was duped into believing Costner was courting her online. As it turns out, you may have guessed, that was not the case at all. At 57, the Sussex medical practice owner found herself caught in a web of deceit created by AI and deepfake trickery. It all began when Rachel received a message from someone claiming to be the actor. Though initially skeptical, her doubts faded as amazingly lifelike interactions came through - voice notes, video calls, all crafted using AI to mimic Costner.
Having divorced in 2005, Rachel was open to love again. Coincidentally, the real Costner was also divorcing, making the scenario seem more believable. Excitement grew when "Kevin" contacted Rachel after she commented on his Instagram. Using deepfake technology, the impersonator created eerily realistic phone calls, notes, videos matching Costner's voice, and other tricks meant to fool Rachel. She was hesitant at first to continue speaking to "Costner," but the personalized messages made her feel special.
She was falling in love. But things soon grew even stranger. Rachel received messages from "Costner's" supposed friends and family, convincing her it was real as the ruse went on for three entire months. Around then, the veneer started to chip and fade. The fake Kevin started pushing strange video platforms and declined video chats. By then, Rachel realized she had been falling in love with someone who never existed.
The fake actor started asking for money from Rachel, mostly to the tune of thousands of pounds. He declined video chats, sent a fake doctored passport to try and convince Rachel he was the real deal, and tried to get her to buy "memberships" for unadulterated access to him. That's when Rachel knew she had to end things.
While she was able to escape the scam, Rachel is still stuck speaking with the orchestrator of the attack as she is scared to anger them in any way after sharing so much personal information. It sounds like a fantasy to be sure, having a famous actor contact you out of the blue, but like with Rachel's case, it was all an elaborate ruse to get her to pay, pay, and pay some random person. If you find yourself in contact with the "Yellowstone" star randomly via social media, you'll want to question it too — don't let this situation end up happening to you.
