7,000 Fake Photos, 10,000 Followers, One 65-Year-Old Cleaner Pretending to Be a 29-Year-Old Doctor

A 65-year-old Chinese woman named Yu Xiuzhen allegedly used AI-generated images and face-changing technology to pose online as a 29-year-old doctor at a major Shanghai hospital, when in reality she worked as a cleaner at that same hospital. Over about five years, she shared roughly 7,000 AI-generated photos and videos, building nearly 10,000 followers.

How the Scam Unfolded

Shanghai contractor Liu Hui discovered her fake account in 2021, and Yu allegedly told him her hospital position could help secure major construction contracts. As the two developed an online romantic relationship, Yu repeatedly dodged his requests to meet or video call. She later invented a second fake identity — her own "mother" — who claimed to oppose the relationship unless Liu paid 300,000 yuan and bought a house. He transferred 170,000 yuan over five months before reporting the matter to police when no contract materialized.

The Detail That Cracked the Case

Police discovered Yu's real mother had died years earlier, and that Yu had a prior fraud conviction. The stolen money reportedly went toward cosmetic surgery, skincare, and new clothes. Investigators later found that her AI-generated videos actually contained a small disclosure warning stating the content was AI-created — a warning Liu said he never noticed simply because he wasn't familiar with the technology.

The Bottom Line

The AI disclosure was sitting right there in the videos the entire time, and Liu still missed it — a stark reminder that as AI-generated content becomes harder to distinguish from reality, even a visible warning label may not be enough to protect someone who doesn't know to look for it.