He thought he was dating Jennifer Aniston and got scammed
When ‘Rachel Green’ asks you for Apple gift cards… it’s probably a scam
Listen, we’ve all daydreamed about our celebrity crush sliding into our DMs.
Sadly, for one 'Friends' superfan from Southampton, that fantasy turned into a nightmare… and cost him £200 in Apple gift cards.
43-year-old Paul Davies genuinely believed he was chatting to thee Jennifer Aniston on social media. Yep - Rachel Green herself.
The messages started off sweet, then got personal. ‘Jen’ told him she loved him, sent what appeared to be a driving licence as proof, and even warned him not to tell Facebook about their conversations because “you don’t want problems.”
Red flag city.
Unfortunately, Paul (bless him) was totally convinced. Especially after receiving a string of very convincing deepfake videos featuring not only ‘Jennifer Aniston,’ but also fake versions of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
The Mirror reported that in one clip, a dodgy Zuckerberg insisted, “This is not a scam - believe me” while flashing a fake ID.
Honestly, who wouldn’t trust a billionaire on a glitchy video clip asking for Apple gift cards?
The final straw came when ‘Jennifer’ asked for £200 worth of non-refundable Apple gift cards to cover her “Apple subscriptions.”
Paul, convinced he was in a digital romance with the Hollywood A-lister, sent the cash.
“I got bitten,” Paul admitted. “Once bitten, twice shy.”
Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others. The poor guy’s been swamped by AI-generated scams for months, each one more ridiculous than the last.
While it sounds kinda hilarious on the surface, it highlights a bigger, scarier issue: the rise of AI deepfake scams.
These fraudsters are using ultra-convincing videos, fake IDs, and manipulated images to trick people into sending money, personal info, or worse.
With AI getting better by the day, it’s easier than ever to fall for these digital con jobs.
The takeaway? If a celeb you’ve never met randomly declares their love, sends dodgy ID photos, and asks for Apple gift cards; it’s a scam.
Stay sharp, friends. AI might be getting smarter, but so should we.
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