Ronnie Liang warns against AI love scam using his identity

Following a recent social media post, Ronnie Liang has revealed more details about an alarming scam that used artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate him, deceive unsuspecting individuals and solicit money under the guise of romance.

- By Nathalie Tomada

"Inakusahan ako na ako daw yung nanghingi ng pera sa kanila," Ronnie shared in a recent interview with select members of the press, including The STAR. "Inakusahan ako na niligawan ko sila, magkita kami sa (hotel), o nag-book ng flight, mag-meet up and magpadala ng pera gamit ang AI-generated video."

The topic arose while Ronnie discussed his current GMA afternoon series "Akusada." He recalled how shocked he was when he first heard about the claims. Scammers used AI-made videos and images of Ronnie, including footage of him in his military reservist uniform. Some victims were led to believe that he was stranded in Iraq and needed financial help. Others were asked to invest in cryptocurrency or send their credit card information.

The scheme went beyond deepfakes. It also included fake communication via messaging platforms. "They thought it was really me. May WhatsApp na nag-cha-chat... with my profile picture," he said.

"I was shocked. I said, 'I never do that.' Hindi ako yun... At hindi ko naman ginawa talaga."

According to him, several victims—mostly women from Europe, the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand—sent him direct messages after falling for the scam.

There were also Filipinos who were misled into believing it was really him asking to meet in hotels. "Yung iba, oo. Pero nalaman na nila eventually na hindi ako yun (because no Ronnie Liang showed up)," he said.